
Supabase
Supabase is an open source Postgres development platform providing authentication, auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs, realtime subscriptions, edge functions, file storage, and vector embeddings.

Supabase is an open source Postgres development platform for building web, mobile, and AI applications. It combines PostgreSQL with a set of services for authentication, instant APIs, realtime updates, serverless functions, and file storage.
Key Features
- Dedicated PostgreSQL database with SQL, roles, and Row Level Security
- Auto-generated REST APIs from your database schema
- Optional GraphQL API via a PostgreSQL extension
- Authentication and authorization with JWT-based sessions and OAuth2 support
- Realtime subscriptions over WebSockets driven by PostgreSQL changes
- File storage service with access control policies backed by Postgres
- Edge/serverless functions for custom backend logic
- Vector/embeddings support using Postgres extensions (for semantic search and RAG patterns)
- Web-based dashboard for managing projects, data, and configuration
Use Cases
- Replace or self-host a Firebase-like backend for apps with Postgres
- Build internal tools and SaaS backends with auth, APIs, and storage
- Create AI-enabled applications using Postgres vector search and embeddings
Limitations and Considerations
- Some functionality relies on multiple cooperating components (database, realtime, auth, storage, gateway), which increases operational complexity compared to a single service
- Feature set and behavior can vary depending on the chosen self-hosting setup and enabled extensions
Supabase provides a cohesive backend stack around PostgreSQL while keeping data ownership and portability. It is well-suited for teams that want a modern developer experience with SQL and strong database-native security controls.



