Backend-as-a-Service
Firebase vs Supabase
Side by side
- Pricing model
- FirebaseUsage-based
- SupabaseHybrid
- Starting price
- FirebaseUsage-based (Blaze)
- SupabaseFreemium
- Free tier
- FirebaseYes — Generous Spark free tier
- SupabaseYes
- Maturity
- Firebase—
- SupabaseEstablished
- Availability
- FirebaseGenerally available
- SupabaseGenerally available
- Last checked
- FirebaseOct 12, 2026
- SupabaseOct 16, 2026
| Fact | Firebase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Hybrid |
| Starting price | Usage-based (Blaze) | Freemium |
| Free tier | Yes — Generous Spark free tier | Yes |
| Maturity | — | Established |
| Availability | Generally available | Generally available |
| Last checked | Oct 12, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
When each one fits
Choose Firebase when…
Mobile/web apps needing a quick backend
All-in-one BaaS with realtime sync
Realtime/collaborative features
Live data out of the box
Firebase strengths
Complete mobile/web backend
Realtime data sync
Fast to build with
Choose Supabase when…
Startup founders and indie developers who need a complete backend-as-a-service with auth, database, and storage in one place
Teams moving from Firebase who want a relational database with a generous free tier
Developers who want to self-host their database infrastructure while keeping a familiar UI
Look past Supabase if…
Teams needing a horizontally sharded database for massive write throughput
Enterprises requiring SOC 2 on the free plan without upgrading to a paid tier
Supabase strengths
Postgres database
Authentication
Auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs
Realtime subscriptions
Edge functions
File storage
Row-level security
Self-hostable
Trade-offs
Known weaknesses from each tool’s record. Sourced ones link to where they came from.
Firebase
Firebase ML service is being discontinued, forcing migration or loss of functionality.
Firebase Admin Dart SDK is experimental and not production-ready.
Supabase
Free tier projects are automatically paused after one week of inactivity, limiting continuous availability for hobby projects.
Custom SMTP integration for authentication emails fails with Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook, breaking standard email workflows.
The Supabase Node.js client causes ESM handling issues that break Vitest testing environments.
Extension version pinning is deprecated, forcing users to accept default versions and ignoring explicit version specifications.