Firebase vs Supabase
Is it time to switch? We break down the differences so you can stop bleeding money.
Choose Supabase.
If you want to own your data, save money, and avoid vendor lock-in, Supabase is open source and community-driven.
What Actually Matters
No fluff — just the differences that affect your decision
Supabase is open source (Apache-2.0). Firebase is closed. If vendor lock-in keeps you up at night, this is the deciding factor.
Supabase supports self-hosting via Docker. Firebase is SaaS-only — convenient, but you're renting, not owning.
Supabase has the bigger crowd: 111.5k stars vs 0. More contributors, more integrations, more momentum.
Supabase is built in TypeScript — you can read the source, contribute, or fork it. Firebase is closed-source, so you're trusting their engineering.
Want seamless google ecosystem integration? Go Firebase. Need postgres under the hood? Go Supabase. For most teams: pick the one you can own.
Firebase
Google's app development platform.
Why Choose Firebase
- ✓Seamless Google ecosystem integration
- ✓Generous free tier (Spark plan)
- ✓Real-time database out of the box
Drawbacks
- ×Vendor lock-in to Google
- ×Pricing can spike unpredictably at scale
Supabase
The Postgres development platform. Supabase gives you a dedicated Postgres database to build your web, mobile, and AI applications.
Why Choose Supabase
- ✓Postgres under the hood
- ✓No vendor lock-in
Drawbacks
- ×Self-hosting can be complex