Supabase vs Firebase
If you're building a modern web or mobile app, you've likely considered Firebase or Supabase. Both offer powerful backend-as-a-service (BaaS) features—but they differ in philosophy, scalability, and openness. Here's a breakdown to help you choose the right tool, plus a look at other emerging alternatives.
Supabase vs Firebase: Choosing the Right Backend Platform for Your App
If you’re building a modern web or mobile app, you’ve likely considered Firebase or Supabase. Both offer powerful backend-as-a-service (BaaS) features—but they differ in philosophy, scalability, and openness. Here’s a breakdown to help you choose the right tool, plus a look at other emerging alternatives.
🧠 What Are Firebase and Supabase?
- Firebase: A Google-owned platform offering a NoSQL database (Firestore), authentication, file storage, serverless functions, and deep integration with Google Cloud. It’s great for rapid MVPs and real-time apps.
- Supabase: An open-source alternative built on PostgreSQL. It provides SQL-based data modeling, real-time subscriptions, authentication, storage, and serverless functions. You can self-host it for full control.
Features
Supabase is the Postgres development platform. We’re building the features of Firebase using enterprise-grade open source tools.
- Hosted Postgres Database. Docs
- Authentication and Authorization. Docs
- Auto-generated APIs.
- REST. Docs
- GraphQL. Docs
- Realtime subscriptions. Docs
- Functions.
- Database Functions. Docs
- Edge Functions Docs
- File Storage. Docs
- AI + Vector/Embeddings Toolkit. Docs
- Dashboard
Architecture
Supabase is a hosted platform. You can sign up and start using Supabase without installing anything. You can also self-host and develop locally.
- Postgres is an object-relational database system with over 30 years of active development that has earned it a strong reputation for reliability, feature robustness, and performance.
- Realtime is an Elixir server that allows you to listen to PostgreSQL inserts, updates, and deletes using websockets. Realtime polls Postgres’ built-in replication functionality for database changes, converts changes to JSON, then broadcasts the JSON over websockets to authorized clients.
- PostgREST is a web server that turns your PostgreSQL database directly into a RESTful API.
- GoTrue is a JWT-based authentication API that simplifies user sign-ups, logins, and session management in your applications.
- Storage a RESTful API for managing files in S3, with Postgres handling permissions.
- pg_graphql a PostgreSQL extension that exposes a GraphQL API.
- postgres-meta is a RESTful API for managing your Postgres, allowing you to fetch tables, add roles, and run queries, etc.
- Kong is a cloud-native API gateway.
🔍 Key Differences
| Feature | Firebase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Firestore (NoSQL) | PostgreSQL (SQL) |
| Hosting | Fully managed by Google | Managed or self-hosted |
| Open Source | No | Yes |
| Real-time Support | Built-in | Built-in |
| Auth & Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Functions | Cloud Functions | Edge Functions |
| Vendor Lock-in | High | Low |
⚖️ When to Choose Each
-
Choose Firebase if:
- You want fast setup and tight Google Cloud integration.
- Your app benefits from push notifications and Firestore’s real-time sync.
- You’re building a prototype or MVP with minimal backend complexity.
-
Choose Supabase if:
- You prefer SQL and relational data modeling.
- You want open-source flexibility and self-hosting options.
- You care about long-term scalability and avoiding vendor lock-in.
🚀 Other Alternatives Worth Exploring
- Appwrite: Open-source backend server with support for multiple databases, authentication, and storage.
- PocketBase: Lightweight backend with SQLite, real-time sync, and built-in admin UI.
- Parse Platform: A mature open-source BaaS with support for GraphQL, REST, and push notifications.
- Backendless: Offers visual app development tools, real-time database, and user management.
Each of these has its own strengths—Appwrite and Parse are great for open-source enthusiasts, while Backendless suits low-code developers.
🧩 Final Thoughts
Choosing between Supabase, Firebase, and other BaaS platforms depends on your app’s data model, scalability needs, and how much control you want. Firebase is magical for quick launches, but Supabase shines when you need transparency and SQL power. And if you’re feeling adventurous, the open-source ecosystem offers plenty of exciting alternatives.
