# Supabase review

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

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 15, 2026.

> **Supabase** is an open-source backend platform built on Postgres, marketed as "the open source Firebase alternative." Each project gets a dedicated Postgres database plus auto-generated REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs derived from that database's schema.

Beyond the database, Supabase bundles authentication (email, 20+ OAuth providers, Row Level Security for per-row authorization), S3-compatible object storage served through a global CDN, WebSocket-based realtime sync for database changes and presence, Deno-based edge functions, and a pgvector-powered vector store for AI embeddings. The core components are Apache-2.0 licensed and self-hostable; the hosted dashboard at supabase.com is Supabase's managed commercial product built on that open-source stack.

## Facts

- Website: https://supabase.com
- Pricing: Free tier · paid from $25/mo (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
- License: Open core
- Platforms: web, windows, macos, linux
- 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
- Standout feature: Auto-generated REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs derived straight from a project's Postgres schema, with Row Level Security enforcing per-row authorization at the database layer instead of in application code.
- Biggest weakness: Pricing beyond the $25/month Pro base is usage-based and billed per project rather than per account, so teams running multiple projects or exceeding the 100,000 MAU / 250GB egress limits can see invoices climb well past the advertised starting price.
- Third-party ratings: Product Hunt 5/5 (861 reviews)
- Categories: [Backend and databases](https://findalternative.to/categories/backend-databases)

## Pricing snapshot

| Plan | Price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0/mo | Up to 2 active projects; 500MB database, 50,000 MAU, 5GB egress, 1GB file storage, community support only; paused after 1 week of inactivity. |
| Pro | $25/mo | 100,000 MAU, 8GB disk, 250GB egress, 100GB storage, email support, 7-day backups; includes $10/month compute credit, usage-based overages beyond that. |
| Team | $599/mo | Adds SOC2/ISO 27001 compliance, 14-day backups, 28-day log retention, SSO dashboard access, and priority support with SLAs. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom pricing; designated support manager, 24x7x365 premium support, uptime SLAs, bring-your-own-cloud. |

## Pros and cons

- Pro: Full Postgres database rather than a proprietary NoSQL store, so existing SQL skills and extensions like pgvector and PostGIS carry over directly.
- Pro: Auto-generates REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs from the schema, with Row Level Security for per-row authorization.
- Pro: Apache-2.0-licensed core stack is self-hostable, avoiding hard vendor lock-in.
- Pro: Free tier includes unlimited API requests, 50,000 monthly active users, and a 500MB database with no time limit on the account.
- Con: Compute is billed per project, so accounts running several projects stack recurring charges beyond the flat $25/month Pro fee.
- Con: MAU overage ($0.00325/user past 100,000) and egress overage ($0.09/GB past 250GB) can produce unpredictable invoices at scale.
- Con: Free-tier projects pause automatically after 1 week of inactivity.
- Con: Row Level Security has a steeper learning curve than Firebase's simpler client-side security rules for teams new to SQL.

## AI summary

- Supabase's Pro plan starts at $25/month with a $10/month compute credit included; the Free plan is $0/month with up to 2 projects.
- Supabase's core stack (Postgres, PostgREST, GoTrue, Realtime, Storage) is Apache-2.0 licensed and self-hostable via the supabase/supabase GitHub repo, which has more than 108,000 stars.
- Supabase auto-generates REST, GraphQL, and Realtime APIs directly from a project's Postgres schema.
- Supabase holds a 5.0/5 rating from 861 reviews on Product Hunt.
- The Team plan costs $599/month and adds SOC2/ISO 27001 compliance and 14-day backup retention.
- Best for: developers who want a Postgres-based backend they can self-host later, rather than a proprietary NoSQL platform like Firebase
- Pricing: Free at $0/month (2 projects, 500MB database); Pro from $25/month with usage-based overages; Team at $599/month; Enterprise custom.
- Top alternatives: Firebase, Neon, PlanetScale, Appwrite, Hasura
- Limitation: Usage-based overages (per-project compute, MAU, egress) can push real bills well past the $25/month Pro sticker price.
- Limitation: Free-tier projects pause after 7 days of inactivity.
- Limitation: Row Level Security has a steeper learning curve than Firebase's simpler client-side rules for teams new to SQL.

## Alternatives

4 vetted alternatives to Supabase: https://findalternative.to/supabase — top picks: Firebase, Neon, PlanetScale

## Comparisons

- https://findalternative.to/compare/appwrite-vs-supabase
- https://findalternative.to/compare/firebase-vs-supabase
- https://findalternative.to/compare/neon-vs-supabase
- https://findalternative.to/compare/planetscale-vs-supabase

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