About Supabase
Overview
Supabase is an open-source platform that gives developers a full Postgres database with built-in Authentication, instant REST APIs, Edge Functions, Realtime data sync, file Storage, and Vector embeddings. It is often described as an open-source alternative to Firebase, wrapping multiple backend services into a single integrated platform.
Every project starts with a dedicated Postgres database, then layers on Auth with Row Level Security, auto-generated Data APIs, serverless Edge Functions, file storage, and vector search for AI workloads. The platform is designed to let developers build in a weekend and scale to millions of users without switching tools.
Key Benefits
- Every project runs a full, portable Postgres database — no vendor lock-in on the data layer.
- Authentication includes Row Level Security, making it straightforward to secure data per user.
- REST and GraphQL APIs are auto-generated from the database schema, eliminating manual endpoint writing.
- Realtime subscriptions enable multiplayer and live-update experiences without polling.
- Edge Functions let developers deploy server-side code globally without managing servers.
- Vector embeddings integrate with AI models from OpenAI and Hugging Face for semantic search.
How It Works
You create a Supabase project and get a dedicated Postgres database with an auto-generated REST API. You define your schema in the Table Editor or via SQL, configure Row Level Security policies in the dashboard, and start querying data from your frontend using the Supabase client library.
For realtime features, you subscribe to database changes with a single line of code. To add custom logic, you write and deploy Edge Functions with the Supabase CLI. File storage, authentication flows, and vector search are all configured through the same dashboard or SDK.
Use Cases
- Full-stack web developers building SaaS products with user authentication and realtime features.
- Mobile app teams using Flutter or React Native who need a backend with auth, storage, and live data sync.
- AI engineers storing and searching vector embeddings from models like OpenAI and Hugging Face.
- Startups prototyping rapidly in a weekend and then scaling to millions of users on the same platform.
- Teams migrating from Firebase who want an open-source, Postgres-based alternative with similar developer experience.
- Enterprise developers requiring SOC2, ISO 27001, and SSO for production workloads.
Why Choose This Product
Supabase suits developers who want the reliability of Postgres combined with modern backend services like Auth, Realtime, and Edge Functions in a single platform. It is open-source, self-hostable, and offers a free tier for hobby projects. The page notes that free projects are paused after one week of inactivity and are limited to two active projects.
Supabase Pros & Cons
- Full Postgres database per project with no vendor lock-in
- Auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs from database schema
- Built-in Authentication with Row Level Security
- Realtime data synchronization for multiplayer experiences
- Free tier available with 50,000 monthly active users and 500 MB database
- Free projects are paused after 1 week of inactivity
- Free tier limited to 2 active projects
- Custom Domain add-on starts at $100/month
- HIPAA compliance only available as paid add-on on Team plan
Key Features
Postgres Database
Every project is a full Postgres database that is 100% portable and supports built-in Auth with Row Level Security.
Authentication
Add user sign-ups and logins with Row Level Security to secure data per user.
Edge Functions
Write and deploy custom server-side code globally without managing servers using the Supabase CLI.
File Storage
Store, organize, and serve large files such as videos and images with 1 GB included on the Free plan.
Realtime Sync
Build multiplayer experiences with real-time data synchronization across clients.
Vector Embeddings
Integrate ML models from OpenAI and Hugging Face to store, index and search vector embeddings.
Auto-generated APIs
Instant ready-to-use REST APIs are generated automatically from the database schema.
Table & SQL Editor
Manage database schema and data through the dashboard Table Editor or directly with SQL queries.
Supabase Pricing
View full pricing →- Unlimited API requests
- 50,000 monthly active users
- 500 MB database size
- Shared CPU • 500 MB RAM
- 5 GB egress
- 1 GB file storage
- Community support
- 100,000 monthly active users
- 8 GB disk size per project
- 250 GB egress
- 100 GB file storage
- Email support
- Daily backups stored for 7 days
- 7-day log retention
- SOC2 & ISO 27001
- Project-scoped and read-only access
- SSO for Supabase Dashboard
- Priority email support & SLAs
- Daily backups stored for 14 days
- 28-day log retention
- Designated Support manager
- Uptime SLAs
- BYO Cloud supported
- 24x7x365 premium enterprise support
- Private Slack channel
- Custom Security Questionnaires
| Feature | Free Free/mo | Pro $25/mo | Team $599/mo | Enterprise Custom/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited API requests | ||||
| 50,000 monthly active users | ||||
| 500 MB database size | ||||
| Shared CPU • 500 MB RAM | ||||
| 5 GB egress | ||||
| 1 GB file storage | ||||
| Community support | ||||
| 100,000 monthly active users | ||||
| 8 GB disk size per project | ||||
| 250 GB egress | ||||
| 100 GB file storage | ||||
| Email support | ||||
| Daily backups stored for 7 days | ||||
| 7-day log retention | ||||
| SOC2 & ISO 27001 | ||||
| Project-scoped and read-only access | ||||
| SSO for Supabase Dashboard | ||||
| Priority email support & SLAs | ||||
| Daily backups stored for 14 days | ||||
| 28-day log retention | ||||
| Designated Support manager | ||||
| Uptime SLAs | ||||
| BYO Cloud supported | ||||
| 24x7x365 premium enterprise support | ||||
| Private Slack channel | ||||
| Custom Security Questionnaires |
Pricing extracted from the product website and may change. Check the source for current details.
Frequently asked questions about Supabase
What is compute and how does pricing work?
Compute refers to the CPU and memory allocated per project. Paid plans include $10/month in compute credits, enough to cover one Micro instance. Compute sizes range from Micro (1 GB RAM, 2-core ARM) up to 16XL (256 GB RAM, 64-core ARM). Instances are billed hourly and can be scaled up or down at any time.
What happens to free projects that are inactive?
Free projects are paused after 1 week of inactivity. You are limited to 2 active free projects at any time.
Can I use my own domain with Supabase?
Yes, a Custom Domain add-on is available starting from $100/month, allowing you to present a branded experience to your users.
Is HIPAA compliance available?
HIPAA is available as a paid add-on on the Team plan and above.
Is Supabase free?
Supabase offers a free plan with optional paid upgrades. See the pricing section for what's included in each tier.
How much does Supabase cost?
Supabase offers the following plans: Free, Pro, Team, Enterprise. See the pricing section for what's included in each tier and any per-seat or usage-based costs.
How Supabase compares
S SupabaseThis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Platforms | Web | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux | Web |
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| Rating | — | — | — |
