AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
butterbase logo
butterbase
★ 3.0k
vs
smails logo
smails
★ 39

butterbase vs smails

butterbase: Butterbase is an open-source, AI-native backend-as-a-service built on Postgres. Each app gets its own database with row-level security, plus auth, file storage, serverless functions, realtime subscriptions, an AI gateway, RAG and an MCP server, so coding agents can operate the backend through tools. It can be self-hosted with Docker Compose or used as a managed cloud.; smails: Smails provides disposable email addresses for humans and AI agents, offering an instant, anonymous throwaway inbox for various online interactions. It features a REST API, CLI, and an MCP server, allowing AI agents to autonomously receive and read verification emails.

01

TL;DR

butterbase logo
butterbaseDev Tooling · ★ 3.0k

Give an AI coding agent a real backend (database, auth, functions) it can provision and deploy through MCP

Read butterbase full review →
smails logo
smailsDev Tooling · ★ 39

Anonymous Sign-ups for Online Services

Read smails full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
butterbase logobutterbase
smails logosmails
Category
Dev Tooling
Dev Tooling
Stars
★ 3.0k
★ 39
License
Apache-2.0
MIT
Install Command
docker compose -f docker-compose.local.yml up -d
npx @smails/cli create
Updated
3d ago
3mo ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
backend-as-a-service, postgres, mcp
disposable email, temporary inbox, AI agent tooling
03

Features

butterbase logobutterbase
01Per-app Postgres database with declarative schema, migrations, row-level security and auto-generated REST
02Auth (email and OAuth), S3/R2-backed file storage, key-value store and outbound webhooks
03TypeScript serverless functions on Deno, Durable Objects and WebSocket realtime subscriptions
04AI gateway, managed RAG collections and declarative multi-step agent workflows with human-approval pauses
05Every capability is exposed as MCP tools (HTTP or stdio), plus a Claude Code plugin with guided skills
smails logosmails
01Instant Inbox Creation
02Real-time Email Delivery
03Agent-Friendly Interfaces (API, CLI, MCP)
04Auto-expiring Mailboxes
05Serverless Architecture
04

Use Cases

butterbase logobutterbase
↳Give an AI coding agent a real backend (database, auth, functions) it can provision and deploy through MCP
↳Self-host a Supabase-style backend on your own infrastructure without feature-gated editions
↳Build AI-driven apps that need RAG, an LLM gateway and stateful agents next to the database
smails logosmails
↳Anonymous Sign-ups for Online Services
↳Receiving One-time Verification Codes
↳Handling Email Confirmations
↳Enabling AI Agents to Verify Accounts
05

Best For

butterbase logobutterbase
Trending
smails logosmails
—
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between butterbase and smails?
Both butterbase and smails are in the Dev Tooling category. butterbase has 3.0k stars, while smails has 39 stars.
Which is better, butterbase or smails?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose butterbase if Give an AI coding agent a real backend (database, auth, functions) it can provision and deploy through MCP, and smails if Anonymous Sign-ups for Online Services.
Is butterbase free or open source?
Yes, butterbase is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
Is smails free or open source?
Yes, smails is open source on GitHub (MIT).
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