Backend platforms · Comparison
Supabase vs Firebase
The two backend platforms most often weighed against each other. Both give you a database, sign-in, storage and functions; the difference starts with the database: PostgreSQL tables against Firestore documents.
2 options · 9 questions side by side · updated
| Compare | Supabase | Firebase |
|---|---|---|
| Database | PostgreSQL (relational tables) | Firestore (documents in collections) |
| Querying | SQL, joins and an auto-generated REST API | SDK queries, no joins |
| Access rules | Row level security policies in SQL | Security rules in their own language |
| Live updates | Broadcast, presence and table changes | Built into Firestore listeners |
| Offline support | Not built in | Built into the mobile and web SDKs |
| Server code | Edge Functions (TypeScript on Deno) | Cloud Functions (Node.js or Python) |
| Open source | Yes, and it can be self-hosted | No |
| Pricing | Free plan; Pro from $25 a month plus usage | Free quotas, then pay per operation (Blaze) |
| Lock-in | Low: standard Postgres | High: proprietary APIs and data model |
How to choose between Supabase and Firebase
- Pick Supabase for relational data, SQL, predictable plans and an exit path through standard Postgres.
- Pick Firebase for mobile apps that need offline sync, push notifications and Google's wider toolset.
- Both are quick to start with, so the choice mostly follows the shape of your data.
The options
- SupabaseAn open-source backend platform built on PostgreSQL that bundles a database, sign-in, file storage, live updates and server functions, with an API generated from your tables.
- FirebaseGoogle's app development platform that bundles a realtime database, sign-in, file storage, hosting, server functions and push notifications, used most for mobile apps.
More comparisons
- Supabase vs Appwrite vs PocketBaseThree open-source backends that bundle a database, sign-in, storage and live updates. They differ mainly in the database underneath and in how much there is to run yourself.
- Neon vs Turso vs PlanetScale vs MongoDB AtlasFour services that run a database for you rather than a whole backend. The first question is which engine you want: PostgreSQL, SQLite, MySQL or MongoDB.
- SQLite vs PostgreSQLBoth are relational and both speak SQL. The real difference is where they run: SQLite is a file inside your app, PostgreSQL is a server your app connects to.
- PostgreSQL vs MySQLThe two most popular open-source relational databases. Either will run a typical web app well; the differences show up at the edges.
- SQL vs NoSQL: PostgreSQL vs MongoDB vs FirestoreTables or documents is a choice that shapes how you model everything. Here is a SQL database next to the two document databases it is most often weighed against.
- PostgreSQL vs ClickHousePostgreSQL is built for running an app (many small reads and writes); ClickHouse is built for analysing one (a few enormous reads). Plenty of products use both.
Crafted in the dark. Shipped to the world.
Tell us what you are building. You get a private project space with a proposal and a line-by-line quote within a day.