whichdb
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Firebase vs Supabase

Firebase: Google's app platform: Firestore, Realtime Database and Data Connect, plus auth, functions and hosting. Supabase: Open-source Postgres backend platform: database, auth, storage, realtime and edge functions in one project.

key differences

  • Firebase is primarily a document database; Supabase is relational.
  • Licensing: Firebase is proprietary (Proprietary service (client SDKs Apache-2.0)); Supabase is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0).
  • Firebase is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Supabase (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in Firebase and none in Supabase.
  • Only Firebase has ttl / expiry, offline sync.
  • Only Supabase has full-text search, geospatial, change data capture, stored procedures, materialized views.
  • Firebase has a serverless option; Supabase does not.

choose firebase for

  • +Mobile apps needing realtime sync and offline support
  • +MVPs and startups that want auth and database in one
  • +Chat, presence and collaborative features
  • +Push notifications and remote config alongside app data

best at · Mobile/offline, OLTP, Content

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

FirebaseGoogle's app platform: Firestore, Realtime Database and Data Connect, plus auth, functions and hosting.
SupabaseOpen-source Postgres backend platform: database, auth, storage, realtime and edge functions in one project.
overview
Primary model
Document
Relational
Also supports
Relational, Vector
Document, Vector, Spatial
Type
Backend platform
Backend platform
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Google
Supabase, Inc.
First release
2012
2020
Latest version
–
v1.26.08 (self-hosted) (Aug 7, 2026)
License
ProprietaryProprietary service (client SDKs Apache-2.0)
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
65.4
54.3
Rank
#11
#23
GitHub stars
5.2K
114.1K
Stack Overflow questions
143.1K
2.1K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
None
Multi-region
Active active
Read replicas
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Strict
Architecture
Serverless, Distributed
Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
—
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
✓
Serverless
✓
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
Google Cloud
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
Firestore query API, GraphQL (Data Connect), Security Rules language
SQL, PL/pgSQL, GraphQL
Client languages
JavaScript, Swift, Kotlin, Java, Dart, C++, Python, Go
JavaScript, Python, Dart, Swift, Kotlin, C#, Go, Rust
Best for
Mobile/offline, OLTP, Content, Vector search
OLTP, Vector search, RAG, Content
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Firebase vs Supabase: FAQ

What is the difference between Firebase and Supabase?

Firebase: Google's app platform: Firestore, Realtime Database and Data Connect, plus auth, functions and hosting. Supabase: Open-source Postgres backend platform: database, auth, storage, realtime and edge functions in one project. Firebase is primarily a document database; Supabase is relational. Licensing: Firebase is proprietary (Proprietary service (client SDKs Apache-2.0)); Supabase is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0). Firebase is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than Supabase (≤ 10 TB).

When should I choose Firebase over Supabase?

Choose Firebase for mobile apps needing realtime sync and offline support; MVPs and startups that want auth and database in one; and chat, presence and collaborative features. 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 Firebase or Supabase more popular?

Firebase ranks #11 on the WhichDB Score (65.4/100) and Supabase ranks #23 (54.3/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Firebase and Supabase open source?

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