Supabase vs. Firebase: which backend should your app use?
The short answer
- Pick Supabase if your data has clear relationships (users, orders, bookings), you want standard SQL, and you want the option to move or self-host later.
- Pick Firebase if your app is mobile-first, has to work offline and sync live, and your developer already knows Google's tools.
- Either way, this is a decision to make with your developer based on your data, not on brand preference.
Both give your app the same basic layer: a database, logins, file storage and live updates. The real difference is the database underneath and what that means for your data later.
Side by side
| Topic | Supabase | Firebase |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Postgres (relational, SQL) | Cloud Firestore (NoSQL documents) |
| Logins | Supabase Auth | Firebase Authentication |
| Live updates | Realtime | Realtime listeners |
| Offline support | Plan it in the app | Built in for mobile and web |
| Hosting | Supabase cloud, or self-hosted | Google's cloud |
| Pricing model | Free plan, Pro from $25/month, plus usage | Free Spark plan, then pay as you go (Blaze) |
What each one is good for
Supabase
- Data that belongs together, like users, orders and bookings
- Standard SQL that most backend developers know
- Database, Auth, Storage, Realtime and Edge Functions in one place
- A way out: Postgres runs anywhere, and Supabase can be self-hosted
Firebase
- Apps that must keep working offline and sync later
- Live data through realtime listeners
- Apple, Android and web apps that talk to the database directly
- Teams who already work with Google's cloud
Limits to know
Supabase: Free projects are paused after a week without activity, so the free plan suits testing, not a live product. On Pro, usage above the included amounts is billed: monthly active users, disk, egress and file storage.
Firebase: Firestore stores documents, so data with many relationships needs careful planning, and reporting across it is harder than with SQL. The parts of your app that talk to Firebase are tied to Google's services, so moving later means rewriting them.
Cost model
Supabase: Free plan from $0/month with a 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users, 1 GB file storage and 5 GB egress, limited to 2 active free projects. Pro from $25/month includes 100,000 monthly active users (then $0.00325 per user), 8 GB disk per project (then $0.125 per GB), 250 GB egress (then $0.09 per GB) and 100 GB file storage (then $0.0213 per GB), plus $10/month in compute credits. Team from $599/month, Enterprise custom.
Firebase: Spark plan at no cost. Blaze is pay as you go and includes the Spark no-cost usage. On Spark, Cloud Firestore (Standard edition) is free up to 1 GiB stored, 50K reads, 20K writes and 20K deletes per day, and Authentication with Identity Platform is free up to 50K monthly active users. Blaze rates per product are listed on Firebase's pricing page.
Facts from the official pages, checked on 30 October 2026. Prices change, so check the source before you decide.
What this means if you have it built
When someone builds the app for you, the backend matters at two moments: the monthly bill once you have users, and the day you want to change developer or host. Ask which of the two your developer has shipped before, and how they would export your data.
For most apps with accounts, bookings or payments, this site recommends Supabase, because your data stays in standard Postgres. Firebase is a fair choice for offline-heavy mobile apps. Either way, the project should be created in your company's account, not the developer's.
Frequently asked questions
Is Supabase a Firebase alternative?
Yes. It covers the same core jobs: database, logins, file storage and live updates. The main difference is the database: Supabase uses Postgres with SQL, while Firebase's Cloud Firestore stores NoSQL documents.
Which one is cheaper?
Both have a free tier. Supabase Pro starts at $25 per month plus usage above the included amounts. Firebase Blaze has no fixed monthly fee and bills per use. Which ends up cheaper depends on your number of users and how often the app reads and writes data, so compare with your own numbers on both pricing pages.
Can I switch from Firebase to Supabase later?
Yes, but it is a migration project: the data has to move from documents into tables, and the parts of the app that talk to the backend have to be rewritten. Choosing deliberately at the start is cheaper.
Do they work with React Native, Flutter and Next.js?
Yes. The backend is a separate layer from the app framework, so both can sit behind a mobile app or a web app.
Related
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