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Claris FileMaker vs Supabase

Claris FileMaker: Low-code database app builder for Mac, Windows, iPad and web, owned by Apple's Claris. Supabase: Open-source Postgres backend platform: database, auth, storage, realtime and edge functions in one project.

key differences

  • Licensing: Claris FileMaker is proprietary (Proprietary commercial license); Supabase is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0).
  • Supabase is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Claris FileMaker (≤ 100 GB).
  • Transactions: Claris FileMaker offers limited ACID; Supabase offers full.
  • Only Supabase has geospatial, json, change data capture, stored procedures, materialized views.
  • Claris FileMaker can run embedded in your application process.

choose filemaker for

  • +Small-business CRM, inventory and job tracking
  • +Departmental apps in schools, labs and nonprofits
  • +iPad field data collection
  • +Replacing spreadsheets with a shared, permissioned app

best at · OLTP, Content, Mobile/offline

choose supabase for

  • +MVPs and startups needing a complete backend quickly
  • +AI-generated apps from Lovable, Bolt and similar builders
  • +Mobile and web apps with auth and file uploads
  • +Realtime collaborative features via Postgres changes

best at · OLTP, Vector search, RAG

overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
–
Document, Vector, Spatial
Type
Backend platform
Backend platform
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Claris International (Apple)
Supabase, Inc.
First release
1985
2020
Latest version
2026 (26.0) (Jun 9, 2026)
v1.26.08 (self-hosted) (Aug 7, 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
—
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
31.2
54.3
Rank
#80
#23
GitHub stars
–
114.1K
Stack Overflow questions
1.3K
2.1K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
Read replicas
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Client server, Embedded
Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
✓
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
AWS, Vercel
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
✓
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
✓
Full-text search
✓
✓
Vector search
✓
✓
Geospatial
—
✓
JSON
—
✓
Change data capture
—
✓
Triggers
✓
✓
Stored procedures
—
✓
Materialized views
—
✓
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
✓
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
—
—
Encryption at rest
✓
✓
Role-based access
✓
✓
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
✓
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
FileMaker calculation and script language, SQL (ExecuteSQL, read-oriented)
SQL, PL/pgSQL, GraphQL
Client languages
JavaScript, PHP, Python
JavaScript, Python, Dart, Swift, Kotlin, C#, Go, Rust
Best for
OLTP, Content, Mobile/offline
OLTP, Vector search, RAG, Content

Claris FileMaker vs Supabase: FAQ

What is the difference between Claris FileMaker and Supabase?

Claris FileMaker: Low-code database app builder for Mac, Windows, iPad and web, owned by Apple's Claris. Supabase: Open-source Postgres backend platform: database, auth, storage, realtime and edge functions in one project. Licensing: Claris FileMaker is proprietary (Proprietary commercial license); Supabase is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0). Supabase is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than Claris FileMaker (≤ 100 GB). Transactions: Claris FileMaker offers limited ACID; Supabase offers full.

When should I choose Claris FileMaker over Supabase?

Choose Claris FileMaker for small-business CRM, inventory and job tracking; departmental apps in schools, labs and nonprofits; and iPad field data collection. Choose Supabase for MVPs and startups needing a complete backend quickly; AI-generated apps from Lovable, Bolt and similar builders; and mobile and web apps with auth and file uploads.

Is Claris FileMaker or Supabase more popular?

Supabase ranks #23 on the WhichDB Score (54.3/100) and Claris FileMaker ranks #80 (31.2/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Claris FileMaker and Supabase open source?

No. Claris FileMaker is proprietary, closed-source software. Yes. Supabase is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.