Best Supabase Alternatives in 2026

Supabase (Free / $25/mo) not the right fit? Here are 12 alternatives we tested and compared — from free options to enterprise-grade tools.

Last updated: February 2026 · 12 alternatives reviewed

Original

Supabase

Open-source Firebase alternative with PostgreSQL database, authentication, storage, and edge functions.

4.8Free / $25/mo
Common pain points:
  • Free tier pauses after 7 days of inactivity (can lose data if not careful)
  • Limited to 2 free projects (need Pro for more)
  • Edge Functions are Deno-based (not Node.js — learning curve)

📝 Why People Look for Supabase Alternatives

Supabase has emerged as the leading open-source Firebase alternative. The PostgreSQL foundation means you never outgrow your database. Real-time subscriptions, auth, edge functions, and storage in one platform — with the ability to self-host if needed. The free tier (500MB database, 1GB storage) is genuinely usable for MVPs.

🔄 Switching Tips:

Coming from Firebase? Supabase has an official migration guide. Firestore to PostgreSQL requires schema redesign — denormalized NoSQL data needs to be normalized. Auth migration is straightforward with Supabase’s provider support.

Top 12 Alternatives to Supabase

#1

Linear

Streamlined issue tracking and project management built for modern software teams.

4.9Free / $8/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Blazingly fast UI — feels instant even with thousands of issues
  • Keyboard-first design loved by developers
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Free tier capped at 250 issues — fills up fast for active projects
  • Limited document/wiki features — need Notion or similar alongside
Best for: Software engineering teams (2-20 people), Solo devs who want a fast, opinionated tracker
#2

GitHub

The world's leading platform for version control, code hosting, and developer collaboration.

4.9Free / $4/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Industry standard for code hosting — virtually every dev uses it
  • Free tier is incredibly generous (unlimited repos, 2K CI minutes)
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • GitHub Projects is basic compared to Linear or Jira
  • Free org tier limits private repo collaborators to 3
Best for: Every developer — it's the standard, Open source projects
#3

Stripe

Payment processing platform for internet businesses with powerful APIs and developer tools.

4.9Free / $0/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Best-in-class developer experience and API documentation
  • No monthly fee — only pay when you get paid
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction adds up at volume
  • Account holds/freezes can happen without warning
Best for: Every SaaS startup — it's the default, Solo devs who want to monetize with minimal code
#4

Cursor

AI-first code editor built on VS Code with deep AI integration for code generation, editing, and chat.

4.8Free / $20/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Best-in-class AI code generation and multi-file editing
  • Full VS Code compatibility — all extensions work
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Free tier is very limited (50 slow requests/month)
  • Requires internet connection for AI features
Best for: Solo devs building full-stack apps with AI assistance, Rapid prototyping and MVP development
#5

Vercel

Frontend cloud platform for deploying and hosting web applications with automatic CI/CD.

4.8Free / $20/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Zero-config deployment for Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit
  • Free tier is generous for personal projects (100GB bandwidth)
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Pro plan is $20/user/mo — adds up for teams
  • Serverless function cold starts can affect performance
Best for: Solo devs deploying Next.js or static sites, Frontend teams wanting zero-config CI/CD
#6

Resend

Developer-first email API for sending transactional and marketing emails with React Email support.

4.7Free / $20/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Cleanest email API on the market — 3 lines of code to send
  • React Email for building beautiful email templates with React
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Free tier limited to 100 emails/day (can hit limit on launch day)
  • Relatively new — smaller ecosystem than SendGrid
Best for: Solo devs sending transactional emails (welcome, reset, receipts), Next.js/React developers (React Email integration)
#7

PostHog

Open-source product analytics suite with feature flags, session replay, A/B testing, and surveys.

4.7Free / $0/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Replaces 5+ tools: analytics + session replay + feature flags + A/B testing + surveys
  • Generous free tier: 1M events/month (most startups never exceed this)
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • UI can feel overwhelming with so many features
  • Self-hosting requires DevOps knowledge
Best for: Startups wanting analytics + feature flags in one tool, Solo devs who need session replay to debug user issues
#8

Railway

Infrastructure platform for deploying apps, databases, and services with simple DX.

4.6Free / $5/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Deploy anything — Docker, Node, Python, Go, Rust, databases
  • One-click PostgreSQL, Redis, MySQL provisioning
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Free tier is just $5 credit (runs out fast with always-on services)
  • No serverless functions (everything is container-based)
Best for: Backend apps, APIs, and workers that need always-on compute, Solo devs who want Heroku-like simplicity with modern pricing
#9

Firebase

Google's comprehensive app development platform. Known for its real-time database and easy authentication.

4.5Free / $0/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Real-time sync
  • Easy Auth
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • NoSQL limits complex queries
  • Vendor lock-in
Best for: Small Teams, Startups
#10

Lemon Squeezy

All-in-one platform for selling digital products, SaaS subscriptions, and managing taxes globally.

4.5Free / $0/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Handles global sales tax automatically (huge for solo devs)
  • Merchant of Record — they handle tax compliance, not you
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Higher per-transaction fee (5% + 50¢) vs Stripe (2.9% + 30¢)
  • Fewer payment methods than Stripe
Best for: Solo devs selling digital products who don't want to deal with taxes, SaaS founders who want Merchant of Record (no tax headaches)
#11

Airtable

Spreadsheet-meets-database platform for building custom apps. Powerful views, automations, and integrations.

4.4Free / $20/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Incredibly flexible — build anything from CRM to inventory
  • Beautiful grid, kanban, calendar, gallery views
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Free tier: only 1,000 records per base
  • Per-user pricing gets very expensive for teams
Best for: Content calendars and CRMs, Operations teams with custom workflows
#12

PlanetScale

Serverless MySQL database platform with branching, non-blocking schema changes, and unlimited scalability.

4.3Free / $29/moFree plan
✅ Why switch:
  • Non-blocking schema changes — no more migration downtime
  • Git-like branching for database schemas
⚠️ Trade-offs:
  • Free tier removed for new users (2024)
  • No support for foreign key constraints (Vitess limitation)
Best for: Startups needing zero-downtime deployments, Teams using Prisma/Drizzle ORM

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free alternative to Supabase?

The best free alternatives to Supabase include Linear, GitHub, Stripe. Each offers a free plan with varying feature limits.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Supabase?

Yes. Supabase starts at Free / $25/mo. Linear (Free / $8/mo) and GitHub (Free / $4/mo) offer lower pricing.

Why do people switch from Supabase?

Common reasons include: Free tier pauses after 7 days of inactivity (can lose data if not careful), Limited to 2 free projects (need Pro for more), Edge Functions are Deno-based (not Node.js — learning curve). Each alternative addresses different pain points, so the best choice depends on your specific needs.

Can I migrate my data from Supabase?

Most alternatives offer import tools or CSV migration paths. The complexity depends on your data volume and workflow complexity. We recommend running both tools in parallel for 1-2 weeks during transition.

Head-to-Head Comparisons

Explore More Alternatives