# Firebase vs Supabase in 2026: Why Postgres Won the BaaS Battle

> Firebase vs Supabase compared for 2026. Learn why Postgres-based backends won, what Firebase got right, and which one fits your project.

*Published: 2022-12-12*
*Canonical: https://makerkit.dev/blog/saas/supabase-vs-firebase*

---

**TL;DR**: For most web projects in 2026, Supabase is the better choice. PostgreSQL won the backend-as-a-service battle, and Supabase rode that wave. Firebase still has strengths for mobile apps and real-time features, but Google's unclear strategy and dwindling JS ecosystem support pushed many developers toward Postgres-based alternatives.

MakerKit no longer actively develops or sells our Firebase template. After years of supporting both platforms, we focused entirely on Supabase-based kits when the migration requests became overwhelming. This article explains what happened and helps you make the right choice for your project.

---

## The Quick Comparison

| Feature | Firebase | Supabase |
|---------|----------|----------|
| **Database** | Firestore (NoSQL) | PostgreSQL |
| **Real-time** | Native, automatic | Requires setup |
| **Self-hosting** | No | Yes |
| **Free tier** | Limited (reduced recently) | Generous |
| **Edge runtime** | No | Yes |
| **Open source** | No | Yes |
| **SQL support** | Data Connect (new) | Native |
| **Best for** | Mobile apps, rapid prototypes | Web apps, production SaaS |

## What Is Firebase?

Firebase is Google's backend-as-a-service platform. It provides authentication, real-time databases (Firestore and Realtime Database), storage, hosting, and serverless functions. Firebase became popular for its polished mobile SDKs and automatic real-time sync.

Firebase's core services include:
- **Authentication** with multiple providers
- **Firestore** (document database) and Realtime Database
- **Cloud Storage** for files
- **Cloud Functions** for serverless compute
- **Hosting** for static sites
- **Analytics** and Crashlytics for mobile

## What Is Supabase?

Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL. It offers authentication, a managed Postgres database, storage, edge functions, and real-time subscriptions.

Supabase's stack includes:
- **Auth** with Row Level Security integration
- **PostgreSQL** database with full SQL access
- **Storage** backed by S3-compatible infrastructure
- **Edge Functions** (Deno-based)
- **Realtime** via Postgres changes
- **Vector** embeddings for AI features

## Why Supabase Won Developer Mindshare

Between 2022 and 2025, Supabase captured significant market share from Firebase. Several factors drove this shift:

### PostgreSQL Became the Default

Postgres emerged as the dominant database for web applications. Its reliability, SQL compatibility, and ecosystem won over developers who wanted more control than NoSQL databases offered.

When you use Supabase, you're using real Postgres. You can run complex queries, use foreign keys and full-text search, and integrate with any Postgres tooling. With Firebase's Firestore, you're locked into Google's proprietary query model.

### The Free Tier Divergence

Firebase's free tier became increasingly restrictive. Supabase maintained a generous free tier that lets developers build real applications without hitting paywalls during development.

For indie developers and startups, this matters. You want to validate ideas without worrying about surprise bills during prototyping.

### Self-Hosting Became Non-Negotiable

For many teams, self-hosting is a requirement due to compliance, data residency, or cost control. Supabase can be self-hosted. Firebase cannot.

Regulated industries often require data to stay within specific jurisdictions. Supabase makes this possible; Firebase makes it impossible.

### The SDK Experience Gap

Supabase's client SDK is isomorphic. It works identically on the client and server. You write one query, and it runs anywhere.

Firebase splits its SDK into client and admin versions. Server-side rendering requires different code paths. This creates friction, especially with modern frameworks like Next.js 16 that blur the client/server boundary.

Supabase also works in edge runtimes like Cloudflare Workers and Deno Deploy. Firebase's SDK is limited to Node.js and browsers.

## What Happened to Firebase's JS Ecosystem?

Google's commitment to Firebase's JavaScript ecosystem became questionable:

**ReactFire** (the semi-official React bindings) saw minimal updates and fell behind React 19's evolution. The library doesn't fully support Server Components or the patterns modern React apps need.

**AngularFire** received more attention, but Angular's market share among indie developers is small.

The modular SDK (v9+, now v10.x) improved tree-shaking but the API remained complex compared to Supabase's simpler approach.

This isn't to say Firebase is abandoned, but the JS developer experience hasn't kept pace with alternatives.

## The Google Factor

Google's track record with developer products creates uncertainty. The company has killed many beloved services (as someone who watched Google Reader die, this isn't paranoia, it's pattern recognition), and Firebase's relationship with Google Cloud remains confusing.

Firebase and Google Cloud overlap awkwardly:
- Firebase Auth vs. Identity Platform
- Firestore vs. Cloud Datastore
- Firebase Hosting vs. Cloud Run
- Firebase Functions vs. Cloud Functions

Which should you use? The answer isn't always clear, and Google's documentation sometimes contradicts itself.

For developers building long-term products, this ambiguity is uncomfortable. You want confidence that your infrastructure choices will be supported for years. Google's brand, despite its resources, may have actually hurt Firebase by creating uncertainty about its future direction.

## What Firebase Got Right (And Still Does)

Firebase isn't dead, and Google has made real improvements:

### Firebase Studio

Firebase Studio brings AI-assisted "vibe coding" to app development. You can describe features in natural language and generate working Firebase code. For rapid prototyping, this is useful.

### Data Connect (Postgres Support)

Firebase now offers Data Connect, which lets you use PostgreSQL instead of Firestore. This is a significant admission that Postgres won the database wars. If you want Postgres but prefer Google's ecosystem, Data Connect is worth evaluating.

### Genkit for AI Features

Firebase's Genkit simplifies building AI-powered features. It provides abstractions for common LLM patterns and integrates with Firebase's other services.

### Reliability

Firebase has maintained excellent uptime. No notable outages have disrupted the service recently. While Supabase has had growing pains, Firebase's infrastructure (backed by Google Cloud) rarely goes down.

### Real-Time Excellence

Firebase's real-time sync remains best-in-class. When you update data, connected clients see changes instantly without any client-side state management. Supabase's real-time requires more manual work to achieve the same effect.

### Mobile-First Features

For mobile apps, Firebase offers Crashlytics, Remote Config, A/B Testing, and Performance Monitoring. These mobile-specific features have no direct Supabase equivalents.

## Database: Firestore vs PostgreSQL

This is the core architectural difference.

### Firestore (Firebase)

Firestore is a document database. You store JSON-like documents in collections. It's flexible and scales automatically, but:
- No JOINs between collections
- Limited query capabilities
- Denormalization required for complex data
- Security rules can become unwieldy

Firestore works well when your data is hierarchical and read-heavy. Social feeds, chat apps, and content management systems fit this model.

### PostgreSQL (Supabase)

PostgreSQL is a relational database. You define schemas, use foreign keys, and write SQL:
- Full SQL query power
- JOINs, transactions, constraints
- [Row Level Security](/blog/tutorials/supabase-rls-best-practices) for authorization
- Extensions for full-text search, vectors, and more

Postgres fits most web applications better. SaaS products, e-commerce, and anything with complex data relationships benefit from relational modeling.

## Authentication

Both platforms offer solid authentication:

**Firebase Auth** supports email/password, phone, OAuth providers, and anonymous auth. It's mature and well-documented.

**Supabase Auth** supports similar providers and integrates directly with Row Level Security. Your auth rules and database permissions use the same system.

The main difference: Supabase Auth is designed around Postgres. Firebase Auth is designed around Google's identity stack. Both work, but Supabase's approach works better together for database-centric apps.

## Real-Time Capabilities

Firebase's real-time is simpler.

```typescript
// Firebase: automatic real-time (v10.x)
import { collection, onSnapshot } from 'firebase/firestore';

const unsubscribe = onSnapshot(
  collection(db, 'messages'),
  (snapshot) => {
    // Full snapshot delivered automatically
    setMessages(snapshot.docs.map(doc => doc.data()));
  }
);
```

Supabase requires more work:

```typescript
// Supabase: manual state reconciliation (v2.x)
const channel = supabase
  .channel('messages')
  .on('postgres_changes',
    { event: '*', schema: 'public', table: 'messages' },
    (payload) => {
      // You receive change events, not full snapshots
      // Must reconcile state yourself
      handleChange(payload);
    }
  )
  .subscribe();
```

If real-time is central to your app, Firebase offers a smoother developer experience. If real-time is secondary, Supabase's approach is adequate.

*Code examples tested with Firebase JS SDK v10.8 and Supabase JS v2.45 in January 2026.*

## Pricing Reality Check

Both platforms have free tiers, but they differ significantly:

**Firebase Free Tier** (Spark Plan):
- 1GB Firestore storage
- 50K daily reads, 20K writes
- 10GB/month hosting bandwidth
- Cloud Functions require upgrade

**Supabase Free Tier**:
- 500MB database storage
- Unlimited API requests
- 1GB file storage
- 500MB bandwidth
- Edge functions included

Supabase's free tier is more usable for development. Firebase's free tier hits limits faster, especially for Cloud Functions (which require the paid plan).

At scale, pricing depends heavily on your usage patterns. Run the calculators for your specific case, or see [Supabase's free tier limits and Pro pricing](/blog/saas/supabase-pricing) broken down in full.

## The Convex Alternative

If neither Firebase nor Supabase feels right, consider **Convex**. It combines:
- Real-time by default (like Firebase)
- TypeScript-native development
- Transactional database with ACID guarantees
- Serverless functions integrated with the database

Convex feels like what Firebase would be if designed today with TypeScript as a first-class citizen. It's gaining traction among developers who want Firebase's developer experience with stronger data guarantees.

## When to Use Firebase (Still)

Firebase remains the right choice when:
- You're building a **mobile-first app** with native iOS/Android
- **Real-time sync** is your primary feature
- You need **mobile analytics** (Crashlytics, Performance Monitoring)
- You want **Firebase Studio** for AI-assisted development
- Your team has **existing Firebase expertise**
- You're prototyping and want **maximum velocity**

## When to Use Supabase

Supabase is the better choice when:
- You're building a **web application** or **SaaS**
- You need **complex queries** or relational data
- **Self-hosting** is a requirement
- You want **edge runtime** compatibility
- You prefer **open-source** infrastructure
- You need [secure secrets management](/blog/tutorials/supabase-vault) with Vault

## Quick Recommendation

**Supabase is best for:**
- SaaS applications with complex data models
- Teams that want SQL and Postgres tooling
- Projects requiring self-hosting or data residency control

**Firebase is best for:**
- Mobile apps needing real-time sync and analytics
- Rapid prototypes where speed beats everything
- Teams already invested in Google Cloud

**Skip both if:**
- You need real-time with strong typing, consider Convex
- You're building at massive scale, consider purpose-built infrastructure

**If unsure:** Start with Supabase for web projects. PostgreSQL's flexibility and the option to self-host give you more exit options. You can always evaluate Firebase later for specific mobile needs.

**Our pick:** For most web-based SaaS projects, start with Supabase. PostgreSQL's flexibility, the generous free tier, and the option to self-host make it the safer long-term bet. Firebase's unclear roadmap and Google's unpredictable product strategy introduce risks that Supabase's open-source foundation avoids.

## Why MakerKit Focused on Supabase

We supported both Firebase and Supabase templates for years. The shift toward Supabase-only development became clear:

1. **Customer preference**: Most new customers chose Supabase-based kits
2. **Migration requests**: Existing Firebase customers frequently asked about switching
3. **SDK friction**: Firebase's split SDK complicated our Next.js 16 App Router support
4. **Ecosystem momentum**: The libraries, tutorials, and community shifted toward Supabase

Supporting both platforms meant compromises for both. Focusing on Supabase let us build the best possible SaaS starter.

If you're starting a new project, check out our [free MakerKit course](/courses/nextjs-turbo/introduction) to see how Supabase powers a production SaaS.

{% faq
   title="Frequently Asked Questions"
   items=[
     {"question": "Is Firebase being discontinued?", "answer": "No. Firebase continues receiving updates, including Data Connect (Postgres support) and Firebase Studio. However, some JS libraries like ReactFire have seen minimal maintenance."},
     {"question": "Can I migrate from Firebase to Supabase?", "answer": "Yes, but it requires effort. You'll need to export Firestore data, restructure it for Postgres, migrate authentication, and update your application code. Plan for several days to weeks depending on complexity."},
     {"question": "Is Supabase really free?", "answer": "Supabase's free tier is generous for development and small projects. Production apps typically need the $25/month Pro plan for better limits and support."},
     {"question": "Which has better real-time features?", "answer": "Firebase. Its real-time sync is automatic and delivers full snapshots. Supabase's real-time requires manual state reconciliation on the client."},
     {"question": "Can I self-host Firebase?", "answer": "No. Firebase is Google's proprietary platform. Supabase can be self-hosted using their open-source stack."},
     {"question": "What about Appwrite or PocketBase?", "answer": "Both are viable alternatives. Appwrite offers a broader feature set. PocketBase is simpler and embeddable. Neither has Supabase's PostgreSQL foundation or ecosystem size."},
     {"question": "Should I use Firebase Data Connect instead of Firestore?", "answer": "If you want Postgres but prefer Google's ecosystem, Data Connect is worth evaluating. It's newer and has a smaller community than Supabase, but it addresses Firestore's limitations."},
     {"question": "Is Convex better than both?", "answer": "Convex offers an excellent developer experience with real-time and TypeScript. It's newer and smaller than Firebase/Supabase. Consider it if you value developer experience over ecosystem size."}
   ]
/%}

## Next Steps

Ready to build with Supabase? Start with these resources:
- [Supabase RLS Best Practices](/blog/tutorials/supabase-rls-best-practices): Secure your multi-tenant data
- [Free MakerKit Course](/courses/nextjs-turbo/introduction): Build a SaaS from scratch
- [Supabase Vault Guide](/blog/tutorials/supabase-vault): Store secrets securely in Postgres