Supabase
FreemiumThe open source Firebase alternative
About Supabase
Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service built on PostgreSQL. Provides authentication, real-time subscriptions, file storage, edge functions, and auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs. Increasingly the preferred Firebase alternative.
Key Features
Pricing Plans
Free
- 2 projects
- 500MB database
- 5GB bandwidth
- 1GB storage
Pro
- Unlimited projects
- 8GB database
- 250GB bandwidth
- Daily backups
Team
- SOC2 compliance
- Priority support
- Advanced security
Pros
- Open source — no vendor lock-in
- Full PostgreSQL power (not a NoSQL compromise)
- Best free tier in the backend-as-a-service space
- Excellent developer experience and documentation
- Row Level Security for fine-grained access control
Cons
- Free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity
- Self-hosting is complex to maintain
- Smaller ecosystem than Firebase for mobile
Best For
- Web apps needing a relational database
- Next.js and React projects
- Developers who want SQL, not NoSQL
Not Ideal For
- Mobile-first apps (Firebase has better mobile SDKs)
- Teams unfamiliar with PostgreSQL
Data & Privacy
Open-source Firebase alternative. Self-hosted option keeps all data on your infrastructure. Cloud version offers regional data hosting. Database data is yours and fully exportable via pg_dump. Supabase does not access or use customer database content. SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Who Is This For?
Hands-on tested May 2026
Signup Experience
GitHub or email signup. Free tier includes 500MB database, 1GB storage, and 50MB file uploads. Auto-provisioned PostgreSQL with instant REST and realtime APIs. Dashboard SQL editor and table view make database management approachable.
For Home Users
Free tier is generous for side projects and learning. Real PostgreSQL means you are not locked into a proprietary query model. Built-in auth, storage, and realtime subscriptions reduce boilerplate significantly. Best for developers comfortable with SQL.
For Business Users
Pro at $25/mo per project adds 8GB database, 100GB storage, and daily backups. Team at $599/mo includes SSO and priority support. Open-source codebase means self-hosting is a real exit option if costs scale. Strong Firebase alternative for teams that prefer relational data.
Our Verdict
Supabase is the best backend platform for developers who want SQL. The combination of Postgres, auth, storage, and realtime in one package — with a generous free tier and open-source foundation — is unmatched. The only gotcha: free projects pause after a week of inactivity. Pro at $25/mo removes that limitation and is excellent value.