Supabase is an open source backend platform that gives you a dedicated PostgreSQL database plus authentication, file storage, real-time subscriptions, edge functions, and vector search out of the box. You get auto-generated APIs, row level security, and client libraries for JavaScript, Flutter, Python, and Swift. It's built for developers and startups who want to ship web, mobile, and AI apps fast without managing backend infrastructure, while keeping full control over their Postgres data.

• Postgres Database: Every project gets a dedicated PostgreSQL database with extensions, backups, and auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs.
• Authentication: Built-in email, passwordless, phone, MFA, and social logins with Google, GitHub, Apple, and any OAuth2 or OIDC provider.
• File Storage: Store and serve large files with S3 compatibility, resumable uploads, CDN caching, and row level security policies.
• Realtime Subscriptions: Listen to database changes over websockets, sync user states, and broadcast messages to connected clients.
• Edge Functions: Deploy globally distributed serverless functions that run close to your users for low-latency backend logic.
• Vector & AI Support: Store vector embeddings alongside your data with pgvector and connect AI tools like Cursor or Claude via the official MCP server.
• Row Level Security: Define fine-grained access policies directly in Postgres so your data stays protected at the database layer.
• Self-Hosting Option: Run the entire stack on your own infrastructure since every component is open source.

• All-in-One Backend: Database, auth, storage, realtime, and functions in one platform cuts setup from hours to minutes.
• Generous Free Tier: The free plan is usable for real projects with 500MB database, 50K MAUs, and 500K edge function calls.
• Great Developer Experience: Clean dashboard, solid docs, and client libraries for major frameworks make onboarding fast.
• Postgres as Source of Truth: You get a real relational database with SQL, extensions, and row level security instead of a proprietary NoSQL store.
• Open Source & Portable: You can self-host or export your data anytime, avoiding vendor lock-in common with Firebase.
• Strong AI Integration: pgvector support and the official MCP server make it a popular choice for AI apps and RAG pipelines.

• Free Tier Project Pausing: Projects on the free plan pause after 7 days of inactivity, which frustrates users still in planning or design phases.
• Usage-Based Overages: Costs can climb quickly once you exceed quotas on MAUs, compute, storage, or realtime messages.
• UI Complexity: Some settings and features are hard to find in the dashboard, requiring users to click through multiple pages.
• CLI Stability Issues: Local development stack and migrations can break between CLI versions, adding friction for teams.

• SaaS MVPs and Startups: Launch a B2B dashboard, productivity tool, or vertical SaaS with users, subscriptions, and permissions handled from day one without stitching together separate services.
• AI Apps with Vector Search: Build RAG chatbots, semantic search, or embedding-based recommendations using pgvector to store embeddings next to your relational data.
• Real-Time Collaborative Tools: Power shared workspaces, project boards, chat apps, or live dashboards using realtime subscriptions for instant updates across clients.
• Mobile and Web Apps: Ship iOS, Android, and web frontends backed by Postgres with auth, file uploads, and offline-friendly APIs using the Flutter, Swift, or JavaScript SDKs.
• Firebase Migration: Move existing Firebase projects to a Postgres-based backend for better querying, row level security, and predictable pricing.
• Internal Tools and Admin Panels: Build CRMs, e-commerce backends, or admin dashboards with relational workflows and instant auto-generated APIs.