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FirebasevsSupabase
What is the difference between Firebase and Supabase?
Updated 2 min read7 differences
In short
Both give apps a ready-made backend: Firebase is Google's platform built on NoSQL, while Supabase is an open-source alternative built on PostgreSQL.
Firebase
Firebase is Google's platform that gives web and mobile apps a hosted database, authentication, storage, hosting and functions without managing a backend.
Read the page on FirebaseSupabase
Supabase is an open-source backend platform built on PostgreSQL that gives an app a database, authentication, storage, real-time updates and instant APIs.
Read the page on SupabaseFirebase and Supabase compared
| Aspect | Firebase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Cloud Firestore, NoSQL documents | PostgreSQL, relational SQL |
| Queries | Simple queries, limited joins | Full SQL with joins and transactions |
| Security | Firebase Security Rules | PostgreSQL row level security |
| Offline support | Strong, built into mobile SDKs | Limited, handled in the app |
| Open source | No, proprietary | Yes, can be self-hosted |
| Pricing model | Per document read and write | Mostly by database size and compute |
| Owned by | Supabase Inc. |
The difference, explained
Both are backend-as-a-service platforms: apps talk to them directly through client libraries, and the platform handles the database, user sign-in, file storage and server-side functions. Firebase, part of Google since 2014, uses Cloud Firestore, a NoSQL document database with real-time listeners and strong offline support for mobile apps. Supabase, founded in 2020, gives every project a full PostgreSQL database with instant APIs generated from the schema.
The data model is the biggest difference. Firestore stores collections of JSON-like documents, which is flexible and easy to start with, but joins and complex queries are limited, so data is often duplicated across documents. Supabase uses relational tables with SQL, joins, transactions, foreign keys and extensions such as pgvector, which suits data with many relationships.
Security works differently too. Firebase uses Security Rules written in its own language; Supabase uses PostgreSQL's row level security, policies written in SQL. Firebase is proprietary and runs only on Google Cloud, while Supabase is open source and can be self-hosted, which reduces lock-in. Firebase's pricing follows document reads and writes; Supabase's mostly follows database size and compute.
A common misconception is that one is simply a copy of the other. They target similar developers, but the choice is really NoSQL versus SQL: Firebase shines for mobile apps with offline sync and simple data, Supabase for apps that benefit from relational data and SQL.
Which one should you use?
Choose Firebase when…
- You build mobile apps that need strong offline sync.
- Your data is simple and document-shaped.
- You want deep integration with Google Cloud and analytics.
Choose Supabase when…
- Your data has many relationships and benefits from SQL.
- You want open source and the option to self-host.
- You want to use PostgreSQL extensions such as pgvector.
Readers ask
Is Supabase a Firebase alternative?
Yes, it describes itself that way. It offers similar services, auth, storage, real-time and functions, but on top of PostgreSQL instead of a NoSQL database.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on usage. Firebase costs grow with document reads and writes, which can surprise apps with many reads; Supabase costs grow mainly with database size and compute.
Can I migrate from Firebase to Supabase?
Yes. Supabase provides tools to import users and Firestore data, but the data must be remodeled from documents into tables and the security rules rewritten as SQL policies.