Gel vs InstantDB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Gel
Graph-relational database with a modern query language
VS
InstantDB
Realtime client-side database with relational queries
| Feature | Gel | InstantDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,168 | ★ 10,383 |
| First released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Firebase, Supabase | Firebase |
Why pick each one
Choose Gel if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 14.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose InstantDB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.4k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Gel or InstantDB better?
Neither is universally better. Gel has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Gel and InstantDB free and open-source?
Yes. Gel is licensed under Apache-2.0 and InstantDB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gel and InstantDB with Docker?
Gel: yes. InstantDB: yes.