What is the difference between Supabase and Firebase?

Supabase is best for Developers who want a full backend with Postgres at the core, while Firebase is best for Mobile and web apps that need realtime sync and fast prototyping. Supabase starts at $25/mo and Firebase starts at Pay as you go.

Is Supabase or Firebase cheaper?

Supabase starts at $25/mo with a free tier. Firebase starts at Pay as you go with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Firebase?

Both Supabase and Firebase offer free tiers.

Supabase vs Firebase

Supabase is Open-source Firebase alternative providing a Postgres database, authentication, storage, and edge functions, while Firebase is google's app development platform providing a realtime database, authentication, hosting, and cloud functions. The biggest difference up front: Firebase is free, while Supabase starts at $25/mo. Supabase is built for developers who want a full backend with postgres at the core, whereas Firebase targets mobile and web apps that need realtime sync and fast prototyping.

At a glance

	Supabase	Firebase
Best for	Developers who want a full backend with Postgres at the core	Mobile and web apps that need realtime sync and fast prototyping
Starting price	$25/mo	Pay as you go
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Analytics	—	✓
Auth	✓	✓
Cloud Functions	—	✓
Edge Functions	✓	—
Firestore	—	✓
Hosting	—	✓
Postgres	✓	—
Realtime	✓	—
Storage	✓	—

Supabase

Strengths

Full Postgres database with SQL access and extensions
Open source with self-hosting option for full control
Built-in auth, storage, and realtime subscriptions
Generous free tier for prototyping and small projects

Weaknesses

Free tier pauses inactive projects after one week
Edge functions are still maturing compared to alternatives
Connection pooling can be tricky at scale
Dashboard can feel overwhelming with many features

Try Supabase → Full review

Firebase

Strengths

Realtime data sync works brilliantly for mobile apps
Comprehensive platform covering auth, storage, hosting, and more
Excellent documentation and large community
Free tier is generous for prototyping and small apps

Weaknesses

Proprietary NoSQL queries are limiting compared to SQL
Costs can spike unpredictably with traffic growth
Strong vendor lock-in to Google Cloud ecosystem
Complex data modeling without relational joins

Try Firebase → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Firebase is completely free (Free Spark plan with generous limits), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Supabase starts at $25/mo, but Free for 2 projects, pauses after inactivity. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Supabase offers Edge Functions, Postgres and Realtime that Firebase lacks. Firebase brings Analytics, Cloud Functions and Firestore that Supabase does not have. Both share Auth.

Team fit: Both tools target any size teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

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

Where each tool shines: Supabase's biggest strengths are: full postgres database with sql access and extensions. open source with self-hosting option for full control. Firebase's biggest strengths are: realtime data sync works brilliantly for mobile apps. comprehensive platform covering auth, storage, hosting, and more.

Watch out for: With Supabase, users commonly note that free tier pauses inactive projects after one week. With Firebase, the main complaint is that proprietary nosql queries are limiting compared to sql.

Choose Supabase if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers who want a full backend with postgres at the core
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Edge Functions and Postgres
You care about open source with self-hosting option for full control
The free tier works for you: free for 2 projects, pauses after inactivity

Choose Firebase if...

You need a tool built for mobile and web apps that need realtime sync and fast prototyping
Budget is a hard constraint — Firebase is free, Supabase is not
You specifically need Analytics and Cloud Functions
You care about comprehensive platform covering auth, storage, hosting, and more
The free tier works for you: free spark plan with generous limits