Supabase is the open source Firebase alternative that puts PostgreSQL at the center of your backend, so teams get a production-ready database, auth, storage, and instant APIs without handing data to Google.
The Problem
Firebase pricing climbs sharply past the Spark free tier. Read and write costs compound as your user base grows, and Firestore's proprietary data format makes migration painful: there is no standard SQL export, so moving to another database means rewriting queries and transforms from scratch. Teams that need vector search or predictable per-query costs have no path forward inside Firebase.
How Supabase Solves It
Supabase wraps PostgreSQL with a developer-friendly interface and generates REST and GraphQL APIs directly from your schema. Because it runs on standard Postgres, every query, index, and schema definition is portable to any Postgres host. Auth, storage, and real-time subscriptions run as first-class services alongside the database. Apache 2.0 licensed; deploy with Docker Compose in one command.
Key Features
- Postgres database with full SQL, extensions, and vector search via pgvector
- Built-in auth for email/password, magic links, OAuth providers, and SSO
- Auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs from your schema with Row Level Security
- Real-time subscriptions using Postgres logical replication
- S3-compatible object storage for files and media
- Edge Functions for custom backend logic deployed globally
Self-Hosting
Deploy with Docker Compose using the official self-hosting guide. The Compose stack includes Postgres, the Supabase API gateway, Auth, Storage, and Realtime in a single configuration. A VPS with 2 GB RAM is recommended for production; Edge Functions require additional configuration.
License
Apache 2.0. Free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose, including commercial products and services.
Who It's For
Supabase is best for developers and small teams migrating off Firebase who want SQL portability and a conventional database without rebuilding their backend from scratch. Teams building SaaS products, real-time applications, or AI features that need vector search alongside a relational database will find Supabase fits without compromise.
Compared to Firebase
Unlike Firebase, Supabase gives you a standard PostgreSQL database you can query with any SQL client, migrate to any Postgres host, and self-host on your own servers at no per-read cost.
