What is the difference between Supabase and Upstash?

Supabase is best for Developers who want a full backend with Postgres at the core, while Upstash is best for Serverless developers wanting Redis and Kafka at the edge. Supabase starts at $25/mo and Upstash starts at Free.

Is Supabase or Upstash cheaper?

Supabase starts at $25/mo with a free tier. Upstash starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Upstash?

Both Supabase and Upstash offer free tiers.

Supabase vs Upstash

Supabase is Open-source Firebase alternative providing a Postgres database, authentication, storage, and edge functions, while Upstash is Serverless Redis, Kafka, and QStash with per-request pricing for edge and serverless. The biggest difference up front: Upstash is free, while Supabase starts at $25/mo. Supabase is built for developers who want a full backend with postgres at the core, whereas Upstash targets serverless developers wanting redis and kafka at the edge.

At a glance

	Supabase	Upstash
Best for	Developers who want a full backend with Postgres at the core	Serverless developers wanting Redis and Kafka at the edge
Starting price	$25/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Auth	✓	—
Edge	—	✓
Edge Functions	✓	—
Kafka	—	✓
Postgres	✓	—
QStash	—	✓
Realtime	✓	—
Serverless Redis	—	✓
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

Upstash

Strengths

Includes Serverless Redis as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows
Includes Kafka as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows
Free 10K commands/day — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes qstash alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

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
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in database
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Upstash → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Upstash is completely free (Free 10K commands/day), 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 Auth, Edge Functions and Postgres that Upstash lacks. Upstash brings Edge, Kafka and QStash that Supabase does not have.

Team fit: Supabase is geared toward any size teams, while Upstash 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. Upstash 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. Upstash's biggest strengths are: includes serverless redis as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows. includes kafka as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows.

Watch out for: With Supabase, users commonly note that free tier pauses inactive projects after one week. With Upstash, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

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 Auth and Edge Functions
You care about open source with self-hosting option for full control
Your team size fits the any size profile Supabase is designed for

Choose Upstash if...

You need a tool built for serverless developers wanting redis and kafka at the edge
Budget is a hard constraint — Upstash is free, Supabase is not
You specifically need Edge and Kafka
You care about includes kafka as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Upstash is designed for