What Is Supabase and Why It Might Replace Your Entire Backend
What Is Supabase
The Firebase Alternative Built on PostgreSQL
Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service platform that gives developers everything they need to build modern applications. Think of it as Firebase, but built on top of PostgreSQL instead of a proprietary NoSQL database.
Founded in 2020 by Paul Copplestone and Ant Wilson, Supabase was born from a simple frustration: Firebase was convenient for getting started, but struggled with scalability, complex queries, and custom features. The goal became clear — keep Firebase-level simplicity while enjoying PostgreSQL-level flexibility.
With over $200 million in funding and a $2 billion valuation as of 2025, Supabase has become the go-to choice for developers who want the convenience of a managed backend without sacrificing the power of a real relational database.
Core Features
Everything You Need in One Platform
Supabase provides a complete backend toolkit that would otherwise require integrating multiple services. Each project includes a dedicated PostgreSQL database with an auto-generated REST and GraphQL API, real-time subscriptions, file storage, and authentication — all secured with Row-Level Security.
PostgreSQL Database
Unlike NoSQL alternatives, Supabase gives you a full relational database with joins, foreign keys, transactions, and over 30 years of PostgreSQL reliability. You get the full power of SQL without managing infrastructure.
Real-time Subscriptions
Build collaborative apps with real-time data synchronisation. Supabase's Elixir-based Realtime server broadcasts database changes over WebSockets, letting you build features like live dashboards, chat applications, and multiplayer experiences.
Authentication & Storage
Supabase Auth supports email/password, magic links, OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, etc.), and phone authentication out of the box. The storage system handles file uploads with built-in CDN delivery and image transformations.
Supabase vs Firebase
Why Developers Are Making the Switch
The choice between Supabase and Firebase often comes down to data structure and vendor independence. Firebase's NoSQL approach works well for simple, unstructured data, but struggles when you need complex queries, joins, or transactions.
Open Source Freedom
Supabase is completely open-source. You can self-host it on AWS, Azure, DigitalOcean, or your own servers using Docker. This eliminates vendor lock-in — your data and infrastructure remain under your control. Firebase, being proprietary to Google, offers no such flexibility.
Predictable Pricing
Firebase charges per read, write, and delete operation — costs that can spike unpredictably as your application scales. Supabase uses resource-based monthly pricing that's typically more economical and far more predictable for growing applications.
SQL Power
With PostgreSQL, you get proper relational database features: foreign keys, transactions, complex joins, and decades of battle-tested reliability. Row-Level Security policies give you fine-grained, SQL-based access control that's both powerful and transparent.
Getting Started
From Zero to Production in Minutes
Getting started with Supabase takes minutes. Head to supabase.com, create a project, and you'll immediately have a PostgreSQL database with REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication, and storage ready to use.
The generous free tier includes 500MB of database storage, 1GB of file storage, and 50,000 monthly active users — enough to build and launch most side projects without spending anything.
For JavaScript and TypeScript developers, the @supabase/supabase-js client library provides a clean, intuitive API. But since it's just PostgreSQL underneath, you can also connect with any PostgreSQL client in any language — Python, Go, Rust, or whatever your stack requires.
Whether you're building a startup MVP, migrating from Firebase, or just exploring modern backend options, Supabase offers a compelling combination of developer experience, scalability, and freedom that's hard to match.
