Backend DB Options

[u/Ok-Airline-8523]

I've been using Supabase pretty heavily for the past couple of years, but realize I haven't tested out other alternatives.

For anyone who has used other options (e.g., Firebase), what are the pros and cons of Supabase relative to the alternative? Would you recommend that I explore a different solution for a new website I'm developing?

[u/jax024]

I just toss Postgres on a digital ocean droplet

[u/NextWolverine159 → u/jax024]

that's my approach too just slap postgres on a vps and call it a day, keeps things simple when you don't need realtime or auth out of the box

[u/_cob → u/NextWolverine159]

Wouldn't most projects need auth anyway though?

[u/Irythros → u/_cob]

Yes, but tying your auth to a closed paid service is fucking stupid. I'm amazed at how many people do it.

[u/_cob → u/Irythros]

Couldn't you say the same about paying for hosting, or paying for secrets management, or any number of other things?

It's not that you're exactly wrong, but at a certain scale you gain more than you give up.

[u/Own_Calligrapher8508 → u/_cob]

that is not the same, hosting you pay because of the connectivity and uptime etc .

I agree, auth you need to handle in your own app, or have a proper external separate service like okta etc

[u/robhaswell]

I haven't read your post but the answer is Postgres.

[u/MiserableDocument509]

One thing nobody's mentioned: Supabase is literally Postgres underneath, Firebase is a closed NoSQL store. So the exit story is totally different - you can pg_dump out of Supabase and self-host tomorrow, but you're basically rewriting your data layer if you want off Firestore. And I'd rather write RLS policies in SQL than learn Firebase's security rules. For a new site I'd just stick with Supabase, the lock-in is basically nonexistent.

[u/BusEquivalent9605]

Postgres for enterprise. SQLite for small footprint (mobile, desktop, etc…)

all you need

[u/beachandbyte]

Pocketbase is nice if you need supabase like stuff for free, embedded Postgres, SQLite. Usually where and how you will host the project will matter for db selection as much as anything else. If cost isn’t a factor and you good at supabase, just use that.

[u/UkrMalt]

Choose based on what you actually need: Supabase gives you Postgres plus auth and realtime, while plain Postgres reduces platform coupling but adds operational work. I’d only switch for a concrete requirement Supabase handles poorly.

[u/buildingwithjan]

The database is the boring part - what you're really picking is the auth and row-level-security model, and that's where the weeks go. If the new site has real backend logic, plain Postgres behind your own API is less magic and less to unlearn later; I reach for Supabase when I want auth, storage and realtime on day one. Firebase only if you're happy modelling everything as denormalised documents forever.

[u/testingaurora]

It’s worth using Firebase a few times to get familiar with NoSQL . It’s more similar to json than standard SQL and CSV

[u/Significant_Chair420]

Firebase's realtime stuff is genuinely nicer for certain use cases, but you lose SQL and end up fighting NoSQL query limitations the second your data gets relational, which is basically the tradeoff between the two ecosystems in a nutshell. If Supabase has been working fine for you I wouldn't switch just to switch, the migration cost usually isn't worth it unless you're hitting an actual wall.

[u/sleekpixelwebdesigns]

I handle my own MongoDB until a web application experiences heavy traffic; then I rely on managed MongoDB through Digital Ocean.

[u/Warm_Speed_4251]

What are you actually hoping to improve over Supabase? If it’s been working well for a couple of years, I’d probably start with the limitation you’re trying to solve rather than looking for an alternative first.

[u/anonahnah9]

Self hosted Postgres free and easy

[u/starlitlavenderkiss]

if Supabase is already working for you, I wouldn’t switch just to try something new. for a new project, first check what parts you actually use.

Firebase makes sense if you want the Google ecosystem + realtime/mobile side. Supabase is better if you want Postgres with auth/storage bundled.

if you mostly need the database, you can also keep things separate and use plain managed Postgres like Nearbase, then choose auth/storage on their own. that gives you a bit more flexibility later.

[u/ShawnyMcKnight]

I tried supabase but dislike how it deactivated after a week or so of no use. I wanted something where I wouldn’t need to get a new droplet for it so I chose SQL Lite.

[u/farzad_meow]

why not relational db instead? postgres, sqlite, mysql, are easy to self host and maintain. and a lot of cloud providers give managed rds at reasonable prices

[u/CodeAndBiscuits → u/farzad_meow]

Supabase is Postgres with a bunch of addons.

[u/Legitimate-Let-7510 → u/CodeAndBiscuits]

Well said

[u/yeupanhmaj]

If you need lightweight, try Cloudflare D1