v1.1.0: 126 plugins (26 free + 100 paid), Go-native binary, CLI/Admin lockstep. What's new
ɳSelf vs Nhost
Nhost is the closest thing to ɳSelf on paper. Same Hasura + Postgres + Auth + Storage stack, same GraphQL-first philosophy. If you are reading this page, you have probably tried both.
Here is the honest version.
Shared foundation
- Hasura as the GraphQL gateway.
- Postgres as the database of record.
- nhost-auth for authentication (ɳSelf uses the same Auth service fork).
- MinIO/S3 for storage.
If you already like Nhost's shape, you will feel at home in ɳSelf.
Where they diverge
| ɳSelf | Nhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | CLI → any server | Managed cloud (self-host "Nhost Run" available but newer) |
| Pricing | Flat bundles | Per-project starting at $0/mo free, $25/mo Pro, usage scaling |
| Custom services | CS_1..CS_10 in any language (Go, Python, Rust, Node, etc.) | Serverless Functions (Node/TS only) |
| Plugin ecosystem | 100 paid, paid + free | None, everything is a function |
| AI suite | ɳClaw, ɳMux, ɳVoice, ɳBrowser | Not included |
| License | MIT core | Proprietary control plane |
| Admin UI | Local nself (localhost:3021) | Nhost Dashboard (hosted) |
| Multi-service deploy | Built-in via Compose | One service per project |
Where Nhost wins
- Managed cloud is frictionless. If you never want to SSH into a box, Nhost's managed plan is a real product.
- First-class migrations UI. The dashboard-driven schema tooling is slicker than
nself db migrate. - Built-in CI/CD hooks. Git-push-to-deploy is included.
Where ɳSelf wins
- Custom services are real services. Python FastAPI + Go microservice + Rust worker in the same project, all behind Nginx, all using the same Postgres. Nhost Functions are Node-only and serverless.
- Plugin ecosystem.
nself plugin install chat livekit recordingdrops a messaging stack into your project in one line. No equivalent on Nhost. - You own the infrastructure. Run it on Hetzner, Oracle Free Tier, a Raspberry Pi, your kitchen NAS. Nhost's managed cloud runs where they decide.
- No MAU ceiling. Nhost's free tier caps at 10k MAUs. ɳSelf has no such concept.
- Monitoring bundle. 10 observability services (Prometheus, Grafana, Loki, Tempo, etc.) wire themselves up on one flag. Nhost wires Grafana into their managed layer only.
Pricing at realistic scale
10k DAU, one mid-sized Postgres, two custom services:
- Nhost Pro: $25/mo + function invocations + bandwidth + storage egress ≈ $50–$150/mo.
- ɳSelf: one Hetzner CX33 ($14.90/mo) + plugin bundle ($0.99/mo) = ~$16/mo.
Migration outline
The migration is mechanical because the service shapes match:
pg_dumpfrom Nhost,psqlinto ɳSelf.- Export Hasura metadata (same format).
- Rewrite Nhost Serverless Functions as CS_N services. Keep the same routes.
- Update your auth JWT issuer URL.
- Point DNS.
Nhost-to-ɳSelf is the easiest migration we support, because we run the same stack.
When to pick Nhost
- Managed cloud is a hard requirement.
- All your compute fits in Node-only serverless functions.
- You want a slick dashboard with no local tooling.
When to pick ɳSelf
- You want your backend in a Git repo and a single
docker-compose.yml. - You have at least one service that is not Node.
- You care about flat pricing at scale.
- You want the plugin ecosystem (chat, livekit, cms, commerce, AI, etc.).
Links: install ɳSelf · pricing · full comparison matrix