Xano
Xano is a hosted backend: a Postgres database, the APIs your app calls and background tasks, built in a visual editor or by Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT through its MCP server.
It suits founders who need a real backend before they can write one, behind a front end made in Bubble, FlutterFlow, WeWeb or Lovable.
It is free to build; going live starts at $85 a month billed yearly, or $99 month to month, as checked on 29 October 2026.
Reviewed by the IndieHacked team
- What it does
- A hosted backend with a Postgres database and APIs, built in a visual editor or by the AI agent you already use.
- Our take
- Founders who need a real backend before they can write one. Build each endpoint as readable steps, or let Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT build it for you through Xano's MCP server.
The IndieHacked breakdown
What it does
Xano runs your backend for you: a Postgres database, the APIs your app calls, background tasks and file storage. You build each API endpoint as a list of steps in the visual editor, or switch to the Canvas view to see it as a graph.
You can also build without opening the editor. Through Xano's MCP server, the agent you already work in writes endpoints in XanoScript, Xano's own language; Xano names Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT. API documentation is generated for each endpoint as it is built.
Who it suits
Founders who need a real backend before they can write one. Each endpoint reads as steps, so you can follow what happens to a request without knowing a server framework, and the agent route lets you describe a feature and review what it built.
It fits best behind a front end made in a no-code or AI tool. Xano names Bubble, FlutterFlow, WeWeb and Lovable among the front ends it works with, and a mobile app can call the same APIs later. When a business customer sends a security questionnaire, the Essential plan lists SOC 2 and ISO 27001.
Not the right fit for
Developers who would rather write the backend themselves in code. Code-first options such as Supabase suit them better, and Xano's own comparison calls Supabase the fit for "a developer team that wants a great Postgres-centric backend and owns its own pipeline."
Founders who need a live app on a zero budget. The free plan is for building: 10 API requests every 20 seconds, one workspace, U.S. hosting only and a watermark on stored images. Going live means Essential, at $85 a month billed annually or $99 month to month, so price it against your first revenue.
Also on the shortlist
- SupabaseBackendOpen-source Postgres with sign-in, storage and functions, built from code, SQL or an AI agent; Pro from $25 a month.Free for 2 projects, Pro from $25 a month, as checked on 30 October 2026
- FirebaseBackendGoogle's NoSQL Firestore with SDKs for Apple platforms, Android, Flutter and Unity, free on Spark and pay as you go past it.Free on Spark, pay as you go on Blaze, as checked on 30 October 2026
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