Supabase vs Firebase: What I Chose and Why

Supabase vs Firebase: What I Chose and Why

When I started building my SaaS as a solo developer, one of the first major decisions I faced was Supabase vs Firebase.

Both are excellent platforms. Both promise speed, scalability, and fewer headaches.
But they are not interchangeable, especially once your product grows.

After using both, I ultimately chose Supabase.
Here’s exactly why, without marketing hype.

My Requirements as a Solo Developer

Before comparing tools, it’s important to define constraints.

I needed:

Fast MVP development

Relational data modeling

SQL flexibility

Clean auth + role-based access

Open-source-friendly stack

Predictable pricing

This context matters. Your choice may differ.

Quick Comparison Overview
Feature Supabase Firebase
Database PostgreSQL NoSQL (Firestore)
Query Language SQL Structured NoSQL
Auth Built-in, extensible Built-in, mature
Open Source Yes No
Pricing Transparency High Can spike unexpectedly
Local Development Easy Limited
Vendor Lock-in Low High
Why Firebase Is Great (And Why I Didn’t Choose It)

Let’s be fair—Firebase is powerful.

What Firebase Does Well

Extremely fast setup

Excellent real-time features

Rock-solid infrastructure

Mature ecosystem

Where Firebase Didn’t Work for Me

NoSQL Complexity at Scale
Simple at first, painful later.
Complex relationships (users → posts → comments → likes) become awkward quickly.

Query Limitations
Firestore queries often require:

Pre-planned indexes

Data duplication

Workarounds for basic joins

Vendor Lock-in
Your data model becomes tightly coupled to Firebase patterns.

Unpredictable Costs
Reads scale fast—and bills scale faster.

Firebase is great for:

Real-time apps

Chat systems

Small-to-medium products with flat data

But it didn’t fit my long-term vision.

Why I Chose Supabase

Supabase aligned better with how I think as a developer.

1. PostgreSQL (This Was the Deal Breaker)

SQL is:

Predictable

Powerful

Battle-tested

Joins, constraints, views, triggers—everything just works.

If you’ve ever written:

SELECT users.name, posts.title
FROM users
JOIN posts ON users.id = posts.user_id;

Supabase will feel natural.

1. Built-in Auth That Doesn’t Fight You

Supabase Auth supports:

Email/password

OAuth providers

Row Level Security (RLS)

I can enforce permissions at the database level, not just in code.

That’s a massive win for security and clarity.

1. Row Level Security (RLS)

RLS lets me define rules like:

Users can only read their own data

Admins can see everything

Public data is readable without auth

This reduces backend complexity significantly.

1. Open Source & Less Lock-in

Supabase is:

Open source

PostgreSQL-based

Portable

If I ever leave Supabase, my data is still standard SQL.

That peace of mind matters.

1. Predictable Pricing

Supabase pricing is easier to reason about:

Storage

Requests

Bandwidth

I don’t wake up worried about surprise bills.

When Firebase Might Be the Better Choice

Firebase is still the right choice if:

You need real-time sync at massive scale

Your data model is simple

You prioritize speed over flexibility

You’re building a prototype or hackathon project

Firebase is not “bad.”
It’s just optimized for different problems.

Final Verdict

I chose Supabase because:

SQL scales better for my product

RLS simplifies security

PostgreSQL keeps my data future-proof

Open source reduces long-term risk

If you think in tables, relationships, and constraints, Supabase will feel like home.

If you think in documents and real-time streams, Firebase may be your tool.

My Advice

Don’t choose based on hype.

Choose based on:

Your data model

Your growth plans

Your tolerance for lock-in

What did you choose—Supabase or Firebase?
I’m curious what tipped the scale for you.