Supabase vs Firebase in 2026
Supabase vs Firebase is mostly a choice of database. Supabase gives each project a Postgres database with auth, file storage, realtime and edge functions around it. Firebase, from Google, is built on Cloud Firestore, a NoSQL document database with realtime listeners and offline caching, and adds auth, hosting, functions and storage. Both have a free plan, but they charge very differently after it.
Facts and prices checked on against the sources listed below.
Quick verdict
Pick Supabase if you want SQL, relations and row level security, a fixed monthly price from $25, and a Postgres database you can dump and move.
Firebase
Starts atPay as you go
Pick Firebase if you build a mobile or web app that needs offline sync and realtime listeners out of the box, and you are happy to pay per read, write and GB.
Supabase vs Firebase at a glance
| Feature |  Supabase | Firebase |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Postgres plus auth, storage, realtime and edge functions | Google's app platform, built on Cloud Firestore (NoSQL documents) |
| Database free tier | 500 MB Postgres database | Firestore: 1 GiB stored; 50K reads, 20K writes and 20K deletes a day |
| Free plan | 2 active projects; paused after 1 week of inactivity | Spark plan, no payment method needed |
| Paid plan | Pro from $25 a month, with $10 of compute credits | Blaze, pay as you go, Spark usage included |
| Auth | 50,000 MAU free, 100,000 on Pro, then $0.00325 per MAU | 50K MAU free on Spark and Blaze |
| File storage | 1 GB free, 100 GB on Pro | 5 GB-months free on firebasestorage.app buckets |
| Functions | 500,000 Edge Function invocations free, 2 million on Pro | Cloud Functions: 2M invocations a month free, then $0.40 per million |
| SQL option | It is Postgres | Data Connect with Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, from $9.37 a month on Blaze |
Pricing and free tier (checked Oct 2026)
Supabase uses plans with quotas. The Free plan gives you 2 active projects, each with a 500 MB database, 1 GB of file storage, 5 GB of egress, 50,000 monthly active users, 500,000 Edge Function invocations and 2 million realtime messages. Free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. Pro starts at $25 a month and includes an 8 GB disk per project, 100,000 MAU, 100 GB of file storage, 250 GB of egress and $10 of compute credits, which covers one Micro instance. Past the quotas you pay, for example $0.125 per GB of database and $0.00325 per extra MAU. Team starts at $599 a month and adds SOC2, ISO 27001 and longer log retention.
Firebase uses two plans. Spark costs nothing and needs no payment method. Blaze is pay as you go: the Spark quotas are still free, and you pay for usage above them, mostly at Google Cloud rates. Firestore gives 1 GiB of stored data, 50K document reads, 20K writes and 20K deletes a day free. Auth is free up to 50K MAU. Cloud Functions gives 2M invocations a month free, then $0.40 per million. Eligible new Blaze accounts get $300 in free credit.
The result: Supabase's bill is easy to predict, and Firebase's bill follows how many reads and writes your app makes. A chatty client that reads the same documents again and again costs more on Firebase than you might guess.
The database decides most of it
Supabase is Postgres. You get tables, joins, foreign keys, SQL, and row level security policies that use the signed-in user from Supabase Auth. Users live in your own database, in a separate schema, so you can join them to your tables.
Firebase is built on Cloud Firestore, a NoSQL database that stores documents in collections. Its strengths are realtime listeners that push only the changes, and an offline cache, so apps keep working without a connection and sync later. Access is controlled with Firestore Security Rules. If you need SQL, Firebase now offers Data Connect with Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, from $9.37 a month on Blaze, with a 3-month trial for the first instance.
Auth, storage and functions
Supabase Auth supports password, magic link, one-time password, social and phone sign-in, SAML 2.0 SSO and MFA with TOTP or phone. Firebase Auth is free up to 50K MAU, includes 50 SAML or OIDC MAU free, and bills phone sign-in per SMS on Blaze. For files, Supabase includes 1 GB free and 100 GB on Pro, and Firebase includes 5 GB-months on its newer storage buckets. Both run server code: Supabase Edge Functions and Firebase Cloud Functions.
When to pick Supabase
- Your data is relational and you want SQL.
- You want a fixed monthly price with clear quotas.
- You want to keep the option to move your Postgres database elsewhere.
When to pick Firebase
- You build a mobile app that must work offline.
- You want realtime listeners without designing them yourself.
- You already use Google Cloud.
For other Postgres options, see Neon vs Supabase and the list of Supabase alternatives. Full plan tables are on Supabase pricing and Firebase pricing.
FAQ
Is Supabase cheaper than Firebase?
It depends on the shape of your traffic. Supabase Pro is a fixed $25 a month per organization plus compute beyond the $10 credit, with clear quotas. Firebase Blaze charges for what you use past the free quotas, so a small app can cost very little, while an app with many reads can cost more than you expect. Model your reads and writes before you choose.
Is Supabase a good Firebase alternative?
Yes, if you want SQL. Supabase covers the same building blocks (database, auth, storage, realtime, functions) on top of Postgres. Moving an existing Firebase app means remodelling Firestore documents as tables, so it is easiest at the start of a project.
Does Firebase have a free plan?
Yes. The Spark plan needs no payment method and includes free quotas for Auth, Firestore, Realtime Database, Storage and Hosting. Some features, such as App Hosting, need the Blaze plan with a billing account. Eligible new Blaze accounts get $300 in free credit.
Do Supabase free projects pause?
Yes. Supabase pauses free projects after 1 week of inactivity. Paid projects never pause.
Sources, checked October 30, 2026
Prices and plans change often. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page.