Supabase vs Firebase
Supabase is an open source backend built around a dedicated Postgres database, with auth, storage and auto-generated APIs, so you work in SQL. Firebase is Google's proprietary backend-as-a-service, built around the NoSQL Firestore and Realtime Database, with deep support for mobile platforms. Choose Supabase for a relational, SQL-based database you can self-host; choose Firebase for Google's mobile-first tooling and a pay-as-you-go free tier with no pausing.
Facts checked on against the official sources listed at the end. Usage numbers update daily.
Best for
Apps that want a relational Postgres database with SQL, open source and self-hostable
Free plan. Paid from $25 a month (Pro), plus usage above the included limits.
Best for
Mobile apps that want Google's NoSQL backend with no free-tier pausing
Free plan. Paid from Blaze plan is pay-as-you-go on top of the same free limits, billed through Google Cloud.
Supabase vs Firebase at a glance
| Compared on | Supabase | Firebase |
|---|---|---|
| Database model | Dedicated Postgres database per project, relational and SQL-based | NoSQL document database (Firestore) or JSON tree (Realtime Database) |
| Free plan limits | 2 active projects, 500 MB database, pauses after 1 week of inactivity | Spark plan: fixed usage limits, no payment method required, doesn't pause |
| Mobile platform support | Web-first, with community mobile support | First-class native SDKs for Android, iOS, Unity and Flutter |
| Server-side functions | Edge Functions on the Deno-compatible Supabase Edge Runtime, plus Postgres functions | Cloud Functions, billed on the pay-as-you-go Blaze plan only |
| Self-hosting | Yes, the full open source stack | No, Firebase is a proprietary managed service only |
| Querying data | SQL, or supabase-js over auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs | Firebase SDKs and query methods specific to Firestore or Realtime Database |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 | No, Proprietary |
| Free plan | Yes: 2 active projects, 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users, 1 GB file storage. Projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. | Yes: the Spark plan, with no-cost usage limits and no payment method required |
| Paid plans from | $25 a month (Pro), plus usage above the included limits | Blaze plan is pay-as-you-go on top of the same free limits, billed through Google Cloud |
| Made by | Supabase Inc. | |
| Launched | 2020 | 2012 |
What's the difference between Supabase and Firebase?
Supabase is relational Postgres, Firebase is NoSQL
Every Supabase project is a real Postgres database, so SQL, joins and Postgres extensions work as usual. Firebase stores data in Firestore's document model or the JSON-tree Realtime Database, both NoSQL, which favors different data modeling than relational tables.
Supabase's free projects pause, Firebase's free tier doesn't
A Supabase free project pauses after 1 week without activity and needs manually restoring. Firebase's free Spark plan has fixed no-cost usage limits but doesn't pause a project for inactivity.
Firebase has deeper native mobile support, Supabase leans toward web
Firebase ships first-class SDKs for Android, iOS, Unity and Flutter, reflecting its origin as a mobile-focused platform under Google. Supabase's primary SDK is JavaScript and TypeScript (supabase-js), with mobile support coming through community libraries rather than official first-party SDKs for every native platform.
Supabase can be self-hosted, Firebase can't
Supabase's entire stack is open source under Apache-2.0 and can be run on your own infrastructure. Firebase is a proprietary Google service with no self-hosted option; every Firebase project runs on Google's infrastructure.
Firebase functions require the paid plan, Supabase functions are available free
Firebase Cloud Functions only run on the pay-as-you-go Blaze plan, not the free Spark plan. Supabase Edge Functions are available on the free plan, within its usage limits.
Supabase vs Firebase pricing
Supabase charges a flat plan fee that includes a compute allowance, plus usage above the included limits. Firebase's free Spark plan has fixed limits, and the Blaze plan bills purely by usage at Google Cloud rates on top of those same free limits.
Supabase
Free: 2 active projects, 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users; pauses after 1 week idle. Pro: from $25 a month for 8 GB database, 100,000 MAU and no pausing, with extra projects from $10 a month.
- Free
- $0
- Pro
- From $25 a month
- Team
- From $599 a month
- Enterprise
- Custom
Firebase
Spark (free): fixed limits including 1 GiB Firestore storage, 50,000 daily reads, auth for 50,000 MAU, no Cloud Functions. Blaze (pay as you go): same free limits included, then billed per use, for example $0.40 per million Cloud Functions invocations beyond 2 million free.
- Spark (free)
- $0
- Blaze (pay as you go)
- Usage-based, e.g. Cloud Functions $0.40 per million invocations beyond 2M free
Prices in USD from the official pricing pages on 29 September 2026. They change often, so confirm on supabase.com and firebase.google.com before you commit.
Usage and activity
Supabase has 22 times as many GitHub stars as Firebase (111k against 5.1k). Weekly npm downloads: 35M for @supabase/supabase-js and 12M for firebase. Releases on GitHub in the last 90 days: 1 for Supabase and 4 for Firebase.
| Measure | Supabase | Firebase |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 111,180 | 5,148 |
| npm downloads a week | 35M (@supabase/supabase-js) | 12M (firebase) |
| Latest release | v1.26.08, 2 months ago | [email protected], 4 weeks ago |
| Releases in 90 days | 1 | 4 |
From the public GitHub and npm APIs, updated daily. Stars and downloads show developer interest, not product quality.
Should you choose Supabase or Firebase?
Choose Supabase if
- You want a real Postgres database with SQL, joins and existing Postgres tooling
- You want the option to self-host the entire backend on your own infrastructure
- You're building primarily for the web and want auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs
- You want row level security policies written in SQL rather than separate rules syntax
Choose Firebase if
- You're building a native mobile app and want first-class Android, iOS or Flutter SDKs
- You want a free tier that never pauses your project for inactivity
- You're already using Google Cloud and want billing through the same account
- Your data fits a document or NoSQL model rather than relational tables
Switching between Supabase and Firebase
Moving from Firebase to Supabase means designing relational Postgres tables from Firestore's document collections, rewriting Firebase Security Rules as SQL row level security policies, and moving auth users into Supabase Auth. Moving from Supabase to Firebase means the reverse: flattening relational tables into Firestore's document or collection model and rewriting SQL queries and row level security as Firebase Security Rules and client SDK calls.
Supabase vs Firebase: common questions
Is Supabase open source like Firebase?
Supabase is open source under Apache-2.0 and can be self-hosted. Firebase is a proprietary Google service with no open source or self-hosted option.
Is Supabase cheaper than Firebase?
Both have usable free tiers, but Supabase's free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity while Firebase's Spark plan doesn't. Paid costs depend heavily on usage patterns on each platform.
Does Supabase use SQL like a normal database?
Yes, every Supabase project is a dedicated Postgres database, so standard SQL, joins and Postgres extensions work. Firebase's Firestore and Realtime Database are NoSQL and use their own query methods instead of SQL.
Is Firebase better for mobile apps?
Firebase has deeper native mobile support, with first-class SDKs for Android, iOS, Unity and Flutter, reflecting its mobile-first origins. Supabase's primary SDK is JavaScript and TypeScript, with mobile support largely community-maintained.
Can I self-host Firebase?
No, Firebase is a proprietary managed service with no self-hosted option. Supabase's full stack is open source and can be self-hosted.
Other options to consider
All databases tools
Redis
In-memory data store used as a cache, database and message broker, available self-hosted or as Redis Cloud.
MongoDB Atlas
MongoDB's fully managed cloud database service, with a free tier and usage-based paid tiers.
Neon
Serverless Postgres platform with autoscaling and instant branching, owned by Databricks.
Pocketbase
Open source backend in a single executable file, with a database, auth and storage built in.
Sources
More sources for each tool are on the Supabase and Firebase pages.
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