What is the difference between AWS Amplify and Supabase?

AWS Amplify is best for AWS developers wanting fast frontend hosting, while Supabase is best for Full-stack developers wanting a hosted Postgres backend. AWS Amplify starts at Free and Supabase starts at Free.

Is AWS Amplify or Supabase cheaper?

AWS Amplify starts at Free with a free tier. Supabase starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Supabase?

Both AWS Amplify and Supabase offer free tiers.

AWS Amplify vs Supabase

AWS Amplify is full-stack hosting and CI/CD for web apps built on AWS infrastructure, while Supabase is Open-source Firebase alternative with Postgres database, auth, and edge functions. Supabase is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. AWS Amplify is built for aws developers wanting fast frontend hosting, whereas Supabase targets full-stack developers wanting a hosted postgres backend.

At a glance

	AWS Amplify	Supabase
Best for	AWS developers wanting fast frontend hosting	Full-stack developers wanting a hosted Postgres backend
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
API	✓	—
Auth	✓	✓
CI/CD	✓	—
Edge Functions	—	✓
Hosting	✓	—
Postgres	—	✓
Real-Time	—	✓

AWS Amplify

Strengths

Built-in CI/CD pipelines automate testing and deployment on every push
Includes Auth as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Generous free tier — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes api alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Developer-oriented tooling may not suit non-technical team members
Costs can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges if limits aren't configured
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try AWS Amplify → Full review

Supabase

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Postgres as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
Free for 2 projects — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Costs can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges if limits aren't configured
Community support can be slower than the dedicated support teams at commercial alternatives

Try Supabase → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both tools offer free tiers, so you can test each before committing. AWS Amplify's free plan: Generous free tier. Supabase's free plan: Free for 2 projects.

Feature gaps: AWS Amplify offers API, CI/CD and Hosting that Supabase lacks. Supabase brings Edge Functions, Postgres and Real-Time that AWS Amplify does not have. Both share Auth.

Team fit: AWS Amplify is geared toward any size teams, while Supabase is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Supabase is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. AWS Amplify is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: AWS Amplify's biggest strengths are: built-in ci/cd pipelines automate testing and deployment on every push. includes auth as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows. Supabase's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes postgres as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows.

Watch out for: With AWS Amplify, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Supabase, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose AWS Amplify if...

You need a tool built for aws developers wanting fast frontend hosting
You specifically need API and CI/CD
You care about includes auth as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Your team size fits the any size profile AWS Amplify is designed for
The free tier works for you: generous free tier

Choose Supabase if...

You need a tool built for full-stack developers wanting a hosted postgres backend
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Edge Functions and Postgres
You care about includes postgres as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Supabase is designed for