Supabase

Open-source Postgres backend with auth, storage and vector search built in

AI Coding & DevelopmentFree planOverseasβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† 4.0

What is Supabase?

Supabase provides the backend services an application usually needs - a Postgres database, authentication, file storage, edge functions and realtime subscriptions - behind a consistent API and dashboard. The database is ordinary Postgres, so everything you know about SQL, extensions and migrations still applies, and the vector extension makes it usable as a store for embeddings alongside your application data. It is open source and self-hostable, which gives teams a credible path off the managed service without rewriting their application. That combination of standard Postgres and a managed developer experience is the core of its appeal.

Last updated: 2026-09-20. This site only provides an index; for exact features, pricing, and licensing, see the official website.

Key features

  • Managed Postgres with a full SQL interface and extension support
  • Authentication with social logins, row level security and policies
  • File storage with access rules tied to authentication state
  • Edge functions for server-side logic close to the user
  • Realtime subscriptions that stream database changes to clients
  • Self-hosting support through the open-source stack

Pros & cons

Strengths

  • Standard Postgres, so there is no proprietary query language
  • Open source and self-hostable, which avoids permanent lock-in
  • Auth, storage and database come from a single service

Watch out for

  • Row level security needs care; a wrong policy exposes data
  • Free projects pause after a period of inactivity
  • Heavy queries and scaling still demand database expertise

Best for & use cases

app backends, postgres hosting, authentication, vector search and rapid prototypes

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FAQ

Is it just a hosted Postgres?

The database is standard Postgres, but the platform adds authentication, storage, functions, realtime and a dashboard around it, which removes a lot of glue code from a typical application.

Can I self-host it?

Yes, the stack is open source and can run on your own infrastructure. Self-hosting shifts operational work back to your team, so weigh that against the managed pricing.

Is row level security really necessary?

If clients talk to the database directly, yes. Policies decide which rows each user may read or write, and a missing or incorrect policy is one of the most common ways data leaks in this architecture.