Supabase
Open-source Firebase alternative built on Postgres with auth, storage, realtime, and edge functions.
Last commit 2026-06-01
Supabase launched in 2020 with a clear positioning: everything Firebase offers, built on Postgres instead of a proprietary NoSQL engine. The foundation is a managed Postgres instance wrapped in auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs via PostgREST and pg_graphql — no extra backend code required to start reading and writing from a client app. Row Level Security policies let you define who can see which rows directly in the database, so access control sits at the data layer rather than scattered across API handlers.
The realtime layer taps Postgres logical replication to stream table changes to connected clients, matching the behavior Firebase developers expect from Firestore listeners. Auth handles email/password, magic links, phone OTP, and a full roster of OAuth social providers out of the box. Edge Functions run on Deno and live in the same project as your database, removing the need for a separate serverless provider. S3-compatible storage with bucket-level policies rounds out the built-in service set.
The free tier hosts two active projects but pauses any project idle for more than seven days — a real limitation for always-on tools and persistent demos. The Pro plan at $25 per month lifts that restriction and adds daily automated backups. Self-hosting via Docker Compose is fully documented and actively maintained, giving teams a credible exit from the managed cloud if data residency or cost becomes a concern.
For any workload that benefits from SQL, relational modeling, or the option to run on your own infrastructure, Supabase is the first open-source BaaS worth evaluating seriously.
Key features of Supabase
- Postgres database with auto-generated REST API (PostgREST) and GraphQL (pg_graphql)
- Row Level Security (RLS) enforces data access control at the database layer
- Built-in Auth supporting email, phone OTP, magic links, and 20+ OAuth providers
- Realtime subscriptions via Postgres logical replication for table change events
- Edge Functions on Deno for low-latency serverless logic
- S3-compatible object storage with bucket-level access policies
- Full self-hosting via Docker Compose with active documentation
Pros
- Full SQL and the entire Postgres extension ecosystem — no NoSQL trade-offs
- Apache-2.0 licensed and self-hostable with a single Docker Compose command
- Row Level Security moves authorization into the database, not scattered across API handlers
Cons
- Free tier pauses inactive projects after one week, breaking always-on demos
- Realtime and edge functions have a steeper learning curve than Firebase equivalents
- Advanced features like branching and log drain require the Pro plan or higher
Supabase pricing
Free / self-host · open-core · Apache-2.0
Teams migrating away from Firebase who want relational data, SQL power, self-hosting control, and a familiar BaaS feature set.
Supabase is an alternative to
Head-to-head comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Is Supabase open source?
Yes. Supabase is open source (Apache-2.0), so you can read the code, self-host it, and avoid vendor lock-in.
How much does Supabase cost?
Supabase starts at Free / self-host on a open-core model. Self-hosting can reduce that to infrastructure cost only.
Can I self-host Supabase?
Yes — Supabase supports self-hosting, giving you full data ownership.