Open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL providing database, authentication, real-time subscriptions, edge functions, storage, and vector search — with auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs.
An open-source alternative to Firebase — instant database, authentication, and storage for your apps, powered by PostgreSQL.
Supabase has positioned itself as the open-source Firebase alternative, providing a complete backend-as-a-service platform built on PostgreSQL with real-time capabilities that rival Google's offering. The platform's foundation on PostgreSQL immediately differentiates it from Firebase's NoSQL approach, offering full SQL support, ACID transactions, complex joins, and mature ecosystem tools. Real-time functionality is exceptional — any database change can trigger WebSocket updates to connected clients with row-level security ensuring users only receive data they're authorized to see. The authentication system supports social logins, magic links, and custom providers while integrating seamlessly with row-level security policies. Edge Functions provide serverless compute using Deno runtime, enabling custom business logic without separate server infrastructure. Storage includes a CDN with image transformations and policy-based access control. The dashboard provides a spreadsheet-like interface for data management plus SQL editor, making it accessible to non-developers while maintaining full PostgreSQL power for technical users. Self-hosting is genuinely supported with Docker containers and migration tools, preventing vendor lock-in concerns. The pgvector extension enables vector similarity search for AI applications, making Supabase a viable vector database alongside its traditional relational capabilities. Integration with existing PostgreSQL infrastructure is seamless since Supabase is essentially managed PostgreSQL with additional services layered on top.
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Supabase has become the go-to open-source backend for developers and startups, offering PostgreSQL database, auth, storage, edge functions, and realtime subscriptions in a single platform. The developer experience rivals Firebase while offering the full power of PostgreSQL. The pgvector extension makes it particularly strong for AI applications needing both traditional database and vector search capabilities in one place. Limitations include Edge Function cold starts, single-region deployment on lower tiers, and real-time costs at scale.
WebSocket-based real-time updates for any database changes with row-level security filtering ensuring users only receive data they are authorized to see
Use Case:
Building collaborative applications like project management tools where multiple users see live updates without polling
PostgreSQL-native security policies defining which users can access specific rows based on custom logic, integrated with Supabase Auth for seamless enforcement
Use Case:
Multi-tenant SaaS applications where users only access their organization's data without application-level filtering
RESTful and GraphQL APIs automatically generated from database schema with filtering, pagination, authentication, and type-safe client libraries
Use Case:
Rapid prototyping where frontend developers can interact with database without custom backend API development
Serverless JavaScript/TypeScript functions using Deno runtime for custom business logic, webhooks, and integrations deployed globally
Use Case:
Processing Stripe webhooks, sending transactional emails, or performing complex calculations without managing server infrastructure
S3-compatible object storage with global CDN delivery, on-the-fly image transformations (resize, crop, format conversion), and policy-based access control
Use Case:
User-generated content applications requiring automatic image resizing, format optimization, and secure file access with signed URLs
PostgreSQL pgvector extension enabling vector embeddings storage, similarity search, and hybrid queries combining vector search with traditional SQL filtering
Use Case:
AI applications that need semantic search, recommendation engines, or RAG pipelines with vectors stored alongside relational data in a single database
Free
$25/month per project
$599/month per organization
Custom pricing
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View Pricing Options →Full-stack web applications requiring PostgreSQL with real-time features, authentication, and file storage in a single platform
AI and machine learning applications needing vector storage and similarity search alongside traditional relational data via pgvector
Multi-tenant SaaS platforms leveraging row-level security for data isolation without application-level filtering logic
Real-time collaborative applications like chat systems, live dashboards, or multiplayer games using WebSocket subscriptions
Startup MVPs and rapid prototypes that need a production-ready backend with auto-generated APIs and no infrastructure management
Self-hosted deployments where teams need full control over their backend infrastructure without vendor lock-in
Supabase works with these platforms and services:
We believe in transparent reviews. Here's what Supabase doesn't handle well:
Supabase offers full SQL support with PostgreSQL (joins, transactions, complex queries) while Firebase uses a NoSQL document model. Supabase real-time works through database change detection with row-level security filtering. Firebase has broader global infrastructure and stronger offline sync. Choose Supabase for relational data and SQL power; Firebase for simpler data models needing Google ecosystem integration and offline-first mobile apps.
Yes, migration is straightforward since Supabase is managed PostgreSQL. Import schema and data using standard PostgreSQL tools like pg_dump/pg_restore. Supabase provides migration guides and the CLI includes migration management. You can enable real-time features on existing tables with simple SQL commands after migration.
Yes. The pgvector extension enables vector similarity search directly in PostgreSQL, so you can store embeddings alongside relational data and run hybrid queries (vector search + SQL filters) in a single database. This makes Supabase practical for RAG pipelines, semantic search, and recommendation engines without needing a separate vector database.
On the Pro plan ($25/month), resources beyond included limits are billed at pay-as-you-go rates. Database storage beyond 8GB costs $0.125/GB. Bandwidth beyond 250GB costs $0.09/GB. Additional Edge Function invocations are $2 per million. The free tier has hard limits — your project pauses if you exceed them rather than incurring charges.
Yes. The Team plan ($599/month) includes SOC2 compliance, priority support, and organization-level management. Enterprise plans add HIPAA compliance, dedicated infrastructure, custom SLAs, and point-in-time recovery. Thousands of production applications run on Supabase including companies like Mozilla, PwC, and Humata.
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In 2025-2026, Supabase enhanced pgvector performance for AI workloads with improved indexing and hybrid search capabilities. Edge Functions gained better cold start times and npm compatibility. The platform added branching for database development workflows, improved local development with the Supabase CLI, and expanded data residency options across US, EU, and Asia regions. The Team plan launched at $599/month providing SOC2 compliance and organization-level management.
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Cloud Infrastructure
Serverless PostgreSQL with instant branching and autoscaling capabilities.
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