# Supabase vs Firebase: Which Backend Should You Choose?

> Supabase or Firebase? A practical comparison of databases, auth, real-time features, security rules, pricing and lock-in — from a team that uses both.

Source: https://mkwebguru.co.uk/blog/supabase-vs-firebase

Published: 2026-11-09 · Author: MK WebGuru Team · Category: Cloud

Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platforms let you launch apps without building a backend from scratch. The two best-known are **Firebase**, from Google, and **Supabase**, an open-source alternative built on PostgreSQL. We use both — and recently migrated our own website's data to Supabase — so here's a practical comparison.

## What do they provide?

Both platforms bundle the building blocks most apps need:

| Feature | Firebase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Main database | Firestore (NoSQL documents) | PostgreSQL (relational) |
| Authentication | Firebase Authentication | Supabase Auth |
| File storage | Cloud Storage for Firebase | Supabase Storage |
| Server functions | Cloud Functions | Edge Functions |
| Real-time updates | Built into Firestore | Realtime (database changes, broadcast, presence) |
| Security model | Security Rules | Postgres Row Level Security |
| Open source / self-hostable | No | Yes |

## The biggest difference: the database

**Firebase's Firestore** is a NoSQL document database. It's excellent for real-time sync and mobile apps, but relational queries — joins, complex filters and reports — can be awkward and may require duplicating data. Firebase has also introduced Data Connect, backed by Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, for teams that want a relational option.

**Supabase** gives you a full **PostgreSQL** database. You get SQL, joins, foreign keys, transactions, views and extensions — and you can connect any standard Postgres tool. If your data is relational (customers, orders, bookings), this is a major advantage. Read more in [PostgreSQL vs MongoDB](/blog/postgresql-vs-mongodb).

## Security

- **Firebase Security Rules** control who can read and write each document. They're powerful but have their own syntax that must be tested carefully.
- **Supabase** uses PostgreSQL **Row Level Security (RLS)** policies written in SQL. An important tip from experience: Supabase exposes tables in the `public` schema through its auto-generated API, so **enable RLS on every table** — otherwise anyone with your public key may be able to read them.

With either platform, misconfigured rules are the most common security mistake, so review them before launch.

## Mobile and offline features

Firebase has a long track record on mobile. Its SDKs offer offline data persistence and integrate with other Google services such as Cloud Messaging for push notifications, Crashlytics and Analytics. If you're building a mobile-first app that must work offline, Firebase is very strong.

## Pricing

Both have free tiers for prototypes.

- **Firebase** uses pay-as-you-go pricing on its Blaze plan, largely based on usage such as document reads and writes. Costs can climb if your app reads data inefficiently, so data modelling matters.
- **Supabase** uses plan-based pricing with included usage, plus charges for extra compute, storage and bandwidth. Costs are generally easy to predict for database-heavy apps.

Always model your expected usage before committing.

## Lock-in and portability

Firestore's data model and APIs are specific to Google, so moving away later means rewriting data access code. Supabase is open source and built on standard PostgreSQL — you can export your database with standard tools or self-host the platform.

## Which should you choose?

**Choose Firebase if:**

- you're building a mobile-first app with offline support and push notifications;
- your data is document-shaped and real-time sync is central;
- you're already invested in Google Cloud.

**Choose Supabase if:**

- your data is relational, or you need SQL reporting;
- you want open-source portability and standard Postgres tools;
- you're building a web app or SaaS with Next.js or React.

## Build your MVP faster

We build MVPs and production apps on Firebase and Supabase — real-time features, authentication and properly configured security rules included. Explore our [Firebase & Supabase service](/services/firebase-supabase) or [contact us](/contact) for advice on the right backend.