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by selfdb_io 357 days ago
I'm excited to announce that we're fully open-sourcing SelfDB under the MIT license. SelfDB is a self-hosted, complete backend platform that provides everything you need to build modern applications without vendor lock-in.

  What is SelfDB?

  Think Supabase or Firebase, but completely self-hosted with no
  external dependencies:
  - PostgreSQL v17 with full SQL capabilities
  - Built-in object storage (no S3 required)
  - Real-time subscriptions via WebSockets
  - Serverless functions with Deno 2.0
  - React admin dashboard with SQL editor
  - JWT auth + anonymous API keys
  - One docker-compose command to run everything

  Why Open Source Everything?

  We believe backend infrastructure should be truly
  owned by developers, not rented. Too many "open
  source" projects have restrictive licenses or
  require proprietary cloud services. SelfDB runs
  entirely on your hardware with standard Docker
  containers.

  Our Sustainable Open Source Model

  Here's what we're doing differently:
  - Everything is MIT licensed - no dual licensing
  tricks
  - Paid version = early access - always one version
  ahead (currently v0.0.3 vs v0.0.2)
  - Same open source license - you're supporting
  development, not buying proprietary software
  - No feature restrictions - open source version gets
   all features, just later

  This model lets us:
  - Keep building without VC pressure
  - Maintain true open source principles
  - Give back to the community sustainably

  Built for Developers, By Developers

  - FastAPI backend with automatic OpenAPI docs
  - TypeScript SDK with full type safety
  - React + Vite frontend with hot reload
  - Multiple function triggers (HTTP, DB, scheduled,
  events)
  - Built-in SQL editor with syntax highlighting
  - Schema visualization and migrations

  Try It Now

  git clone https://github.com/Selfdb-io/SelfDB
  cd SelfDB
  cp .env.example .env
  ./start.sh

  Access at http://localhost:3000

  Links:
  - GitHub: https://github.com/Selfdb-io/SelfDB
  - Documentation:
  https://github.com/Selfdb-io/SelfDB#readme
  - Latest version: https://selfdb.io

  We're planning this sustainable approach because we
  want SelfDB to be around for decades, not years.
  Would love to hear your thoughts on this model and
  answer any questions about the architecture or
  implementation!