Firebase
Key Features of Supabase
Postgres Database
Every project starts with a full PostgreSQL database—trusted, scalable, and portable. It includes built-in Row Level Security (RLS) and is easy to extend.
Authentication
Secure user sign-ups, logins, and session management with support for third-party providers and fine-grained access control using RLS.
Realtime
Build collaborative and live experiences with realtime updates powered by websockets, listening directly to database changes.
Edge Functions
Run serverless functions written in JavaScript or TypeScript, deployed globally at the edge—no need to manage servers.
Storage
Upload, organize, and serve large files such as images, videos, and documents. Permissions are managed through your Postgres database.
Auto-Generated APIs
Instant REST and GraphQL APIs generated directly from your Postgres schema, allowing you to query your data with no backend setup.
Vector Embeddings
Natively store, search, and manage high-dimensional vectors for AI and ML applications. Integrates easily with models from OpenAI and Hugging Face.
Dashboard
Manage your entire project—from database to auth to functions—through a clean, integrated web UI.
Open Source Architecture
Built entirely from open source components under permissive licenses. Use the hosted version or self-host for full control.
Scalable from Local to Global
Develop locally with the Supabase CLI, and scale seamlessly to millions of users on the hosted platform.
Supabase: The Open Source Firebase Alternative
Building modern applications demands flexibility, reliability, and speed. Supabase offers all of this by giving developers a fully managed Postgres database with the rich ecosystem needed to create everything from MVPs to production-scale applications. It’s an open source alternative to Firebase—but instead of reinventing the wheel, it leverages the best open source tools available, then integrates and extends them into one powerful platform.
Open Source at Its Core
Supabase isn’t trying to be a line-for-line replacement for Firebase. Instead, it’s creating a developer experience that’s familiar, productive, and completely built on open technologies. If a tool with a permissive open source license exists—like MIT or Apache 2—Supabase uses it. If it doesn’t exist, the team builds it and releases it to the community.
This approach makes Supabase ideal for teams that value transparency and control, while still wanting the ease of use that comes with a managed service.
A Fully Integrated Stack
At the heart of Supabase is PostgreSQL, the gold standard for relational databases. With decades of proven performance, Postgres forms the backbone of every Supabase project, providing a robust foundation for structured data, role-level security, and portability.
But Supabase doesn’t stop at storage. Realtime, built with Elixir, transforms your Postgres changes into websocket messages—making it easy to build live dashboards, multiplayer features, and collaborative tools. You also get instant REST and GraphQL APIs thanks to PostgREST and pg_graphql, meaning your database is accessible immediately, without additional backend work.
Authentication is handled by GoTrue, a simple yet secure way to manage users with support for email logins, third-party providers, and sessions. Supabase also includes file storage through a RESTful interface, with permissions managed via Postgres itself.
And when you need server-side logic, Supabase Edge Functions let you write custom JavaScript functions that run close to your users—with zero server maintenance required.
Built for the Future
Modern apps increasingly involve machine learning, and Supabase meets this challenge with native support for vector embeddings. Store, index, and query high-dimensional vectors using your favorite models from OpenAI or Hugging Face, directly inside your database.
Whether you're building a weekend project or scaling to millions of users, Supabase is designed to grow with you. You can start instantly on their hosted platform or self-host everything for full control over your stack.
One Platform, Many Tools—Working Seamlessly
Supabase wraps all these tools into one clean dashboard experience. No juggling services. No vendor lock-in. Just a powerful set of technologies that work together out of the box.
It’s more than just an alternative to Firebase. It’s a rethink of what building applications should feel like in a world powered by open source.
