Supabase vs Redis
Supabase gives each project a dedicated Postgres database bundled with authentication, storage, realtime subscriptions and auto-generated APIs, built for holding an application's primary data. Redis is an in-memory data structure store known for very low-latency reads and writes, most often used as a cache, session store or message broker sitting alongside a primary database rather than replacing one. Most applications use them together rather than choosing one over the other: Supabase (or another database) for durable primary data, Redis for speed-critical caching and ephemeral state.
Facts checked on against the official sources listed at the end. Usage numbers update daily.
Best for
Holding an application's primary relational data plus auth, storage and APIs
Free plan. Paid from $25 a month (Pro), plus usage above the included limits.
Best for
Low-latency caching, session storage and pub/sub messaging alongside a primary database
Free plan. Paid from about $0.007 an hour, with a $5 a month minimum, for the Essentials plan.
Supabase vs Redis at a glance
| Compared on | Supabase | Redis |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Primary application database plus backend services | Cache, session store and message broker |
| Data persistence | Fully durable, disk-backed Postgres storage | In-memory by default; can be configured for persistence but optimized for speed over durability |
| Built-in auth and storage | Yes, included as part of the platform | No; Redis has no auth or file storage layer |
| Typical latency | Standard database latency (milliseconds), suited to durable queries | Sub-millisecond reads and writes for in-memory data |
| Licensing | Apache-2.0, fully open source | Dual source-available license as of a March 2024 change; not a traditional open source license |
| Managed hosting | Supabase Cloud, with a free tier and Pro from $25/month | Redis Cloud, with a free tier (30 MB) and Essentials from about $5/month minimum |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 | No, Dual source-available license (not a traditional open source license as of the 2024 change) |
| 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: Redis Cloud's free tier includes up to 30 MB of storage on a shared deployment |
| Paid plans from | $25 a month (Pro), plus usage above the included limits | about $0.007 an hour, with a $5 a month minimum, for the Essentials plan |
| Made by | Supabase Inc. | Redis (company) |
| Launched | 2020 | Not listed |
What's the difference between Supabase and Redis?
Supabase is designed to be an application's system of record, storing durable
Supabase is designed to be an application's system of record, storing durable relational data; Redis is designed for speed, typically holding transient data like cached query results, sessions or queues rather than a durable primary dataset.
Supabase includes authentication, file storage and auto-generated APIs as part of the
Supabase includes authentication, file storage and auto-generated APIs as part of the same platform; Redis provides none of these and is used purely as a data structure store.
Redis's licensing changed in March 2024 to a dual source-available model, meaning
Redis's licensing changed in March 2024 to a dual source-available model, meaning current versions aren't traditionally open source, which led to permissively licensed forks like Valkey; Supabase remains fully Apache-2.0 licensed.
Redis supports data structures like sorted sets, streams and pub/sub channels suited
Redis supports data structures like sorted sets, streams and pub/sub channels suited to caching and messaging patterns; Supabase's Postgres foundation is built around relational tables, joins and transactions.
Supabase vs Redis pricing
Supabase has a free plan (pauses after a week idle) and Pro from $25 a month. Redis Cloud has a free tier limited to 30 MB and paid plans starting around $5 a month minimum for Essentials.
Supabase
Free plan: 2 active projects, 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users. Pro from $25 a month: 8 GB database, 100,000 monthly active users, no pausing.
- Free
- $0
- Pro
- From $25 a month
- Team
- From $599 a month
- Enterprise
- Custom
Redis
Free: 30 MB storage on a shared deployment. Essentials from about $0.007 an hour, $5 a month minimum, covering 250 MB to 100 GB. Pro from about $0.014 an hour, $200 a month minimum, unlimited RAM.
- Free
- $0
- Essentials
- From $0.007 an hour, $5 a month minimum
- Pro
- From $0.014 an hour, $200 a month minimum (first $200 free)
Prices in USD from the official pricing pages on 30 September 2026. They change often, so confirm on supabase.com and redis.io before you commit.
Usage and activity
Supabase has 45% more GitHub stars than Redis (112k against 76.9k). Weekly npm downloads: 35M for @supabase/supabase-js and 17M for redis. Releases on GitHub in the last 90 days: 1 for Supabase and 5 for Redis.
| Measure | Supabase | Redis |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 111,661 | 76,909 |
| npm downloads a week | 35M (@supabase/supabase-js) | 17M (redis) |
| Latest release | v1.26.08, 2 months ago | 8.10.2, 4 weeks ago |
| Releases in 90 days | 1 | 5 |
From the public GitHub and npm APIs, updated daily. Stars and downloads show developer interest, not product quality.
Do you need Supabase, Redis or both?
Use Supabase when
- You need a durable primary database for your application's core data
- You want authentication, file storage and APIs bundled with your database
- Your data is relational and benefits from Postgres's structure
- You want a fully open source licensed platform
Use Redis when
- You need very low-latency caching in front of a slower primary database
- You want a message broker or pub/sub system for real-time messaging between services
- You're storing session data or rate-limiting counters that don't need long-term durability
- You already have a primary database and want to speed up specific hot paths
Switching between Supabase and Redis
These tools are typically used together rather than as a substitute for each other. A common pattern is to keep durable data in Supabase's Postgres database and add Redis in front of it purely for caching frequently accessed queries, storing sessions, or handling pub/sub messaging between services. There's no real migration path from one to the other, since they solve different problems; adopting Redis alongside an existing Supabase project usually just means adding a Redis client library and caching layer to your application code.
Supabase vs Redis: common questions
Can Redis replace a primary database like Supabase's Postgres?
Generally no. Redis is optimized for speed with in-memory storage, and while it can be configured for more durability, it's not typically used as an application's system of record the way a Postgres database is.
Is Redis still open source?
As of a licensing change announced 20 March 2024, current versions of Redis use a dual source-available license rather than a traditional open source license. Permissively licensed forks such as Valkey emerged in response for people who need a fully open source option.
Do most apps use Supabase and Redis together?
Many do. It's common to use Supabase (or another primary database) for durable data and add Redis as a caching or session layer to speed up specific parts of an application.
Does Supabase have caching features similar to Redis?
Not built in as a dedicated in-memory cache layer. Some teams use Postgres features or add a separate Redis instance for that purpose.
What's the cheapest way to try Redis?
Redis Cloud's free tier includes up to 30 MB of storage on a shared deployment, enough for testing caching patterns before committing to a paid plan.
Other options to consider
All databases toolsMongoDB Atlas
MongoDB's fully managed cloud database service, with a free tier and usage-based paid tiers.
Firebase
Google's backend-as-a-service platform for mobile and web apps: database, auth, hosting and functions.
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 Redis pages.
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