Should I use Firebase or Supabase?

Use Firebase if you want the most mature mobile-app platform with deep SDKs and bundled crash reporting; use Supabase if you want a Postgres-based backend you can self-host with Row Level Security and auto-generated APIs.

Is Firebase cheaper than Supabase?

Both offer a free tier; Firebase's has no card requirement but resets on fixed quotas, while Supabase's has no time limit but caps at 2 projects, so which is cheaper depends on usage pattern.

Does Supabase use SQL or NoSQL?

Supabase uses standard Postgres, a SQL relational database, while Firebase's Firestore and Realtime Database are proprietary NoSQL stores.

Firebase vs Supabase (2026)

By Noahlast updated September 14, 2026

Verdict: Choose Firebase if you want the most mature, fully managed mobile-app platform with deep SDKs across iOS, Android, Flutter, and Unity. Choose Supabase if you want a Postgres-based backend with Row Level Security and auto-generated APIs that you can self-host later instead of committing to a proprietary NoSQL store. The deciding factor is the database model and license: Supabase's Apache-2.0 core is self-hostable and built on standard Postgres, while Firebase's Firestore is a proprietary NoSQL model with no self-hosting option.

Firebase

Google's mobile and web app development platform bundling a NoSQL database, authentication, hosting, and serverless functions on a free Spark plan or pay-as-you-go Blaze plan.

Pricing: Free
License: Freemium
Best for: mobile and web developers who want a fully managed backend (database, auth, hosting, functions) without provisioning or maintaining their own servers

4.6/5 on Capterra (767 reviews)

Details firebase.google.com

Supabase

An open-source backend platform built on Postgres, bundling a database, authentication, storage, realtime sync, and edge functions with auto-generated APIs.

Pricing: Free tier · paid from $25/mo
License: Open core
Best for: developers who want a Postgres-based backend (auth, storage, realtime, auto-generated APIs) they can self-host later, rather than committing to a proprietary NoSQL platform like Firebase

5/5 on Product Hunt (861 reviews)

Details supabase.com

Choose Firebase if…

You're building a mobile app and want deep SDKs across iOS, Android, Flutter, Unity, and C++
You want bundled crash reporting, push notifications, and analytics from the same platform
You want a free tier with no payment method required to start
You're comfortable with Firestore's proprietary NoSQL model in exchange for Google-scale managed infrastructure
You want deployment fully managed with no option (or need) to self-host

Choose Supabase if…

You want a full Postgres database instead of a proprietary NoSQL store, keeping your SQL skills and extensions like pgvector portable
You want Row Level Security enforcing per-row authorization at the database layer
You want auto-generated REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs derived directly from your schema
You want the option to self-host later, since the Apache-2.0 core stack isn't locked to one vendor's cloud
You want a free tier with no time limit on the account itself, not just fixed daily quotas

Firebase vs Supabase: feature comparison

Feature	Firebase	Supabase
Starting price	Yesfree plan; pay-as-you-go from $0 base (Blaze)	Yesfree plan; paid from $25/mo (Pro)
Free tier	YesSpark, fixed daily/monthly quotas, no card required	Yes2 projects, 500MB database, 50,000 MAU, no time limit
Platforms	Yesweb, iOS, Android	Yesweb, Windows, macOS, Linux
License	Partialfreemium, closed-source Google platform	Partialopen-core (Apache-2.0 core, hosted dashboard proprietary)
Self-hosting	No	YesApache-2.0 core stack is self-hostable
Database model	Noproprietary NoSQL (Firestore/Realtime)	Yesstandard Postgres
Auto-generated APIs from schema	No	YesREST, GraphQL, Realtime auto-generated from the schema
Row-level authorization	PartialFirestore/Realtime Database security rules	YesPostgres Row Level Security
Bundled crash reporting / analytics	YesCrashlytics, Google Analytics, always free	No
Mobile SDK depth	YesiOS, Android, Flutter, Unity, C++	Partialnarrower mobile SDK coverage than Firebase
Vector search for AI embeddings	Partialvia Firebase AI Logic integration	Yespgvector-powered vector store
Edge/serverless functions	YesCloud Functions	YesDeno-based edge functions
External rating	Yes4.6/5 from 767 reviews (Capterra)	Yes5/5 from 861 reviews (Product Hunt)

Firebase vs Supabase pricing: which costs less?

Firebase's free Spark tier requires no card and resets on fixed daily/monthly quotas, while Supabase's free tier has no time limit on the account but caps at 2 projects and 500MB of database storage before requiring the $25/month Pro tier.

Firebase's Blaze plan meters usage across many separate services (reads, writes, function invocations, storage) at Google Cloud rates. Supabase's Pro plan includes a $10/month compute credit against its $25/month base price, but usage-based overages on monthly active users and egress can push bills higher for accounts running multiple projects, since compute is billed per project rather than per account.

Which database model is better, Firebase or Supabase?

Supabase uses standard Postgres, keeping existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector and PostGIS portable, while Firebase's Firestore is a proprietary NoSQL model that creates migration lock-in.

Which is more open, Firebase or Supabase?

Supabase is more open: its core stack (Postgres, PostgREST, GoTrue auth, Realtime, Storage) is Apache-2.0 licensed and self-hostable, while Firebase is a closed-source, proprietary Google platform with no self-hosting option.

Supabase's GitHub repository has more than 108,000 stars, and the self-hostable core stack means an organization isn't fully locked into Supabase's own hosted infrastructure if it later wants to run the stack independently. Firebase offers no equivalent path away from Google's managed infrastructure.

Can Supabase replace Firebase?

Yes, for teams that prefer a Postgres-based backend with auto-generated APIs and don't need Firebase's deepest mobile SDKs or bundled crash reporting.

Supabase covers authentication, storage, realtime sync, and edge functions much like Firebase, while adding Row Level Security and a relational data model. Teams specifically relying on Firebase's Flutter/Unity SDK depth, Crashlytics, or Remote Config would need separate tools if they moved fully to Supabase.

Strengths and weaknesses

Firebase

Pros

Generous free Spark tier with no payment method required, suitable for prototypes and small apps.
Fully managed infrastructure removes the need to provision or scale servers manually.
Deep, well-documented SDKs across iOS, Android, web, Flutter, Unity, and C++.
Integrated operational tooling (Crashlytics, Analytics, Remote Config) reduces the need for separate third-party services.

Cons

Blaze pay-as-you-go pricing spans many separately metered services, making cost forecasting difficult at scale.
Firestore's proprietary NoSQL model creates lock-in and a steeper query-design learning curve than SQL databases.
Some reviewers report recurring bugs and instability in certain SDK versions.
Complex security rules (Firestore/Realtime Database) require careful configuration to avoid open or over-restrictive access.

Supabase

Pros

Full Postgres database rather than a proprietary NoSQL store, so existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector and PostGIS carry over directly.
Auto-generates REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs from the schema, with Row Level Security for per-row authorization.
Apache-2.0-licensed core stack is self-hostable, avoiding hard vendor lock-in.
Free tier includes unlimited API requests, 50,000 monthly active users, and a 500MB database with no time limit on the account.

Cons

Compute is billed per project, so accounts running several projects stack recurring charges beyond the flat $25/month Pro fee.
MAU overage ($0.00325/user past 100,000) and egress overage ($0.09/GB past 250GB) can produce unpredictable invoices at scale.
Free-tier projects pause automatically after 1 week of inactivity.
Row Level Security has a steeper learning curve than Firebase's simpler client-side security rules for teams new to SQL.

Which fits your use case?

Use case	Pick	Why
Mobile app team needing deep SDK support across iOS, Android, Flutter, and Unity	Firebase	Firebase offers more mature, deeper mobile SDKs; Supabase's mobile SDK coverage is narrower per the data.
Team that wants to keep the option to self-host its backend later	Supabase	Supabase's Apache-2.0 core stack is self-hostable; Firebase has no self-hosting path.
Developer who wants SQL and Postgres extensions like pgvector to carry over directly	Supabase	Supabase runs on standard Postgres; Firebase's Firestore is a proprietary NoSQL model.
Team running multiple small projects on a strict budget	Firebase	Firebase's Spark plan supports unlimited projects within its free daily/monthly quotas; Supabase's free tier caps at 2 projects before requiring the Pro plan.
Team wanting bundled crash reporting and push notifications without adding third-party tools	Firebase	Firebase includes Crashlytics and Cloud Messaging as part of the platform; Supabase has no equivalent bundled services.

Neither a match?

Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.

6 alternatives to Firebase 4 alternatives to Supabase

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Firebase vs Supabase: migration FAQ

Should I use Firebase or Supabase?: Use Firebase if you want the most mature mobile-app platform with deep SDKs and bundled crash reporting; use Supabase if you want a Postgres-based backend you can self-host with Row Level Security and auto-generated APIs.
Is Firebase cheaper than Supabase?: Both offer a free tier; Firebase's has no card requirement but resets on fixed quotas, while Supabase's has no time limit but caps at 2 projects, so which is cheaper depends on usage pattern.
Can Supabase replace Firebase?: Yes for most backend needs, since Supabase covers auth, storage, realtime sync, and edge functions on a self-hostable Postgres base, though it lacks Firebase's deepest mobile SDK coverage and bundled crash reporting.
Which is more open, Firebase or Supabase?: Supabase is more open — its core stack is Apache-2.0 licensed and self-hostable, while Firebase is a closed-source, proprietary Google platform with no self-hosting option.
Does Supabase use SQL or NoSQL?: Supabase uses standard Postgres, a SQL relational database, while Firebase's Firestore and Realtime Database are proprietary NoSQL stores.