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It's a split decision.
Choose Supabase when your app needs a relational Postgres database, SQL access and a more portable data layer. Its hosted plans start at $25 per month, and it can also be self-hosted. Choose Firebase when managed NoSQL databases, mobile testing and Google’s app services fit your stack. Firebase’s Spark plan is free, while Blaze has a $0 base price and bills for usage beyond free quotas. In either case, map service-specific dependencies before planning a migration.
01Side by side
| Supabase | Firebase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid tiers plus usage-based overages | Free quotas, then usage-based billing |
| Free tier | 50,000 MAUs; 500 MB database; 5 GB egress | Firestore quotas; 50,000 authentication MAUs |
| Open source and licence | Open source; licence not specified | Licence status not published |
| API and SDKs | REST APIs; JavaScript client example | Client platforms, Admin SDKs and REST APIs |
| Integrations | React, Stripe, Vercel, OpenAI, LangChain | Google Cloud, BigQuery, Slack, Jira |
| Deployment model | Hosted platform; self-hosting supported | Fully managed Google cloud platform |
| Platforms | Web and mobile | Web, Apple, Android, Flutter, Unity, C++ |
| Limits and scaling | Plan quotas and published overage rates | Free quotas; Google Cloud quotas apply |
Supabase Choose Supabase if
- Choose Supabase if you want Postgres and SQL.
- Choose Supabase if portability and self-hosting matter.
- Choose Supabase if you want REST APIs with a relational database.
Firebase Choose Firebase if
- Choose Firebase if you need managed NoSQL with offline persistence.
- Choose Firebase if mobile testing and crash monitoring are central.
- Choose Firebase if your stack already uses Google Cloud services.
02Pricing at real usage
Supabase’s Free plan costs $0 and includes 50,000 monthly active users, 500 MB of database per project, 5 GB of egress and 1 GB of file storage. It pauses projects after one week of inactivity. Pro starts at $25 per month, with 100,000 MAUs, 8 GB of disk per project, 250 GB of egress and 100 GB of file storage. Pro overages include $0.00325 per additional MAU, $0.125 per GB of disk and $0.09 per GB of egress; compute starts at $10 per month, with $10 in compute credits on paid plans. Firebase’s Spark plan is free, with daily Firestore quotas and 50,000 authentication MAUs. Blaze has a $0 base price and includes Spark’s no-cost quotas; beyond them, Firestore reads cost $0.03 per 100,000 and writes $0.09 per 100,000. Functions include 2 million monthly invocations before usage charges. Google Cloud quotas apply.
03API, SDKs and integration
Supabase exposes ready-to-use REST APIs alongside Postgres, Auth, Storage, Realtime and Edge Functions. Its homepage shows a React example using the JavaScript package @supabase/supabase-js to query a table. It names React, Next.js, Flutter, Expo and React Native, and integrations including Stripe, Vercel, OpenAI, Hugging Face and LangChain. The homepage links to documentation and shows a function deployment command, but does not name other SDK languages there. Firebase offers Cloud Firestore and Realtime Database client features such as queries, synchronization and offline persistence. It supports Android, Apple platforms, Web, Flutter, Unity and C++; server-side Admin SDKs are listed for Node.js, Java, Python, Go and C#, alongside REST APIs. Its named integrations include Android Studio, BigQuery, Google Ads, Google Play, Slack, Jira and Flutter, plus Google Cloud and GitHub Actions. Firebase Extensions connect to third-party tools. The products suit different data models: Supabase centers on SQL and Postgres; Firebase centers on managed NoSQL services.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Supabase is open source and self-hostable, and its database is a full, portable Postgres instance. That gives teams a familiar SQL data layer and a clearer route to move database workloads than a store tied to a proprietary data model. Portability does not remove migration work: Auth, Storage, Edge Functions and Realtime may need replacements or changes if you leave the platform. Firebase is a fully managed Google platform built around services including Firestore, Realtime Database, Cloud Functions and Cloud Storage. The vendor does not publish its open-source or self-hosting status in the product details described here. Firebase’s service mix creates dependencies on Google’s APIs and operating model; teams should map data formats, authentication and function triggers before committing. Neither architecture makes an exit automatic. Decide which services own critical data and document export and replacement paths before launch.
Questions people ask
Why use Supabase instead of Firebase?
Use Supabase when your application benefits from relational data, SQL and Postgres portability. Each project includes a Postgres database, with Auth, Storage, REST APIs, Realtime and Edge Functions available alongside it. Firebase may fit better when your app relies on managed NoSQL, offline persistence or Google’s mobile development and monitoring services.
Which is better for free, Supabase or Firebase?
It depends on what your app uses. Supabase Free includes 50,000 monthly active users, 500 MB of database per project and 5 GB of egress. Firebase Spark is free and lists daily Firestore quotas, 1 GiB stored and 50,000 authentication MAUs. Compare your expected reads, writes, storage and traffic against each service’s quotas.
What is cheaper, Firebase or Supabase?
Firebase can start at $0 on Spark, and Blaze has a $0 base price with usage charges beyond free quotas. Supabase Free is also $0, while Pro starts at $25 per month. Which costs less at production usage depends on database operations, egress, storage, compute and other services; estimate those from your workload.
What is replacing Google Firebase?
There is no single replacement for Firebase’s database, authentication, functions, storage, hosting and app-monitoring services. Supabase is one alternative for teams seeking Postgres, Auth, Storage, REST APIs, Realtime and Edge Functions. Replacing Firebase usually means mapping each service separately and planning changes to data models, triggers and client integrations.