Supabase vs Firebase in 2025: The Complete Comparison
January 8, 202512 min readBy VIBEBUFF Team
SupabaseFirebaseBaaSBackendDatabase
Compare Supabase and Firebase for your next project. Detailed analysis of features, pricing, performance, and use cases for both BaaS platforms.
Backend-as-a-Service Showdown
Supabase and Firebase are the two leading BaaS platforms. Both offer databases, authentication, and more, but with different approaches.
Firebase: The Google Ecosystem
Firebase offers a comprehensive suite of tools:
- Firestore: NoSQL document database
- Realtime Database: JSON-based real-time sync
- Authentication: Easy social and email auth
- Cloud Functions: Serverless backend logic
- Hosting: Fast static hosting with CDN
Firebase Strengths
- Excellent real-time capabilities
- Deep Google Cloud integration
- Mature mobile SDKs
- Generous free tier
Supabase: The Open Source Alternative
Supabase provides a PostgreSQL-based alternative:
- PostgreSQL: Full SQL database power
- Real-time: Subscribe to database changes
- Auth: Built-in authentication
- Storage: S3-compatible file storage
- Edge Functions: Deno-based serverless
Supabase Strengths
- Open source and self-hostable
- Full PostgreSQL features
- Row-level security
- SQL knowledge transfers
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Firebase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Database | NoSQL | PostgreSQL |
| Real-time | Excellent | Good |
| Auth | Excellent | Excellent |
| Storage | Good | Good |
| Functions | Node.js | Deno |
| Self-host | No | Yes |
| Pricing | Usage-based | Predictable |
Database Philosophy
Firebase (NoSQL)
- Flexible schema
- Denormalized data
- Limited querying
- Scales horizontally
Supabase (SQL)
- Structured schema
- Normalized data
- Complex queries
- Scales vertically (with read replicas)
Pricing Comparison
Firebase
- Pay-per-read/write
- Can get expensive at scale
- Hard to predict costs
Supabase
- Predictable monthly pricing
- Generous free tier
- Self-hosting option for cost control
When to Choose Firebase
- Building mobile-first applications
- Need excellent real-time sync
- Already in Google Cloud ecosystem
- Team experienced with NoSQL
- Need mature mobile SDKs
When to Choose Supabase
- Prefer SQL and PostgreSQL
- Want predictable pricing
- Need complex queries and joins
- Value open source and self-hosting
- Building web-first applications
Migration Considerations
Moving from Firebase to Supabase is possible but requires:
- Data model restructuring (NoSQL to SQL)
- Auth migration (user export/import)
- Code changes for different APIs
Our Recommendation
For new web projects, Supabase is often the better choice due to PostgreSQL's power and predictable pricing. Choose Firebase for mobile-first apps or when real-time sync is critical.
Compare these platforms with our Compare tool or explore backend options in our Tools directory.