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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Platform as a Service
  4. Realtime Backend API
  5. Firebase vs Supabase

Firebase vs Supabase

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
Supabase
Supabase
Stacks531
Followers456
Votes29
GitHub Stars91.8K
Forks10.5K

Firebase vs Supabase: What are the differences?

Firebase and Supabase are two popular backend as a service (BaaS) platforms that provide various features to support developing web and mobile applications. Below are the key differences between Firebase and Supabase.

  1. Real-time Database: Firebase offers a real-time database that synchronizes data across clients in real-time, allowing for seamless updates and collaboration. In contrast, Supabase utilizes a PostgreSQL database, which provides strong relational database features but does not have native real-time functionality without the use of additional tools like websockets or triggers.

  2. Authentication: Firebase provides built-in authentication services with support for various providers like Google, Facebook, and email/password. On the other hand, Supabase also offers authentication features with support for OAuth providers but is more customizable as it allows developers to choose their own authentication logic and storage.

  3. Data Storage: Firebase provides cloud storage for storing user-generated content like images, videos, and files. In comparison, Supabase leverages PostgreSQL's BLOB data type for storing files, offering more flexibility in managing and querying the data within the database.

  4. Serverless Functions: Firebase offers serverless functions through Google Cloud Functions, allowing developers to run backend code without managing servers. In contrast, Supabase recently announced support for serverless functions using AWS Lambda, providing a similar serverless architecture for application logic.

  5. Real-time Push Notifications: Firebase includes support for sending real-time push notifications to users through Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), enabling developers to engage users with timely updates. With Supabase, developers need to set up external services or use other solutions to achieve real-time push notifications functionality.

In Summary, Firebase and Supabase differ in their real-time database capabilities, authentication services, data storage options, serverless function support, and real-time push notifications handling.

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Advice on Firebase, Supabase

Jared
Jared

Contractor at Insight Global

Aug 9, 2019

ReviewonFirebaseFirebase

I started using Firebase over 5 years ago because of the 'real-time' nature. I originally used to use Real Time Database, but now I use Cloud Firestore. I recommend using the Google Firebase PaaS to quickly develop or prototype small to enterprise level web/mobile applications. Since Google purchased Firebase, it has exploded and it growing rapidly. I also find some level of comfort that it is Backed by Google.

272k views272k
Comments
Noam
Noam

Jul 16, 2020

Needs adviceonNode.jsNode.jsExpressJSExpressJSReactReact

We are starting to work on a web-based platform aiming to connect artists (clients) and professional freelancers (service providers). In-app, timeline-based, real-time communication between users (& storing it), file transfers, and push notifications are essential core features. We are considering using Node.js, ExpressJS, React, MongoDB stack with Socket.IO & Apollo, or maybe using Real-Time Database and functionalities of Firebase.

1.15M views1.15M
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Firebase
Firebase
Supabase
Supabase

Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.

Supabase is currently in early-Alpha .It is an open-source Firebase alternative. It adds realtime and RESTful APIs to your PostgreSQL database without a single line of code.

Add the Firebase library to your app and get access to a shared data structure. Any changes made to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.;Firebase apps can be written entirely with client-side code, update in real-time out-of-the-box, interoperate well with existing services, scale automatically, and provide strong data security.;Data Accessibility- Data is stored as JSON in Firebase. Every piece of data has its own URL which can be used in Firebase's client libraries and as a REST endpoint. These URLs can also be entered into a browser to view the data and watch it update in real-time.;Real-time Synchronization- Firebase takes a new approach to the way data is moved around an app. Rather than using a traditional request & response model, it works by synchronizing data between devices. Whenever your data changes, all clients are immediately notified within milliseconds. The synchronized data is also persisted, allowing new clients to be immediately updated.;First-class Data Security- Traditional applications intermix security code with application code, whereas Firebase treats security as a first-class feature. You define your security policies in one place using a flexible rules language, and Firebase ensures that they are consistently enforced across all parts of your application. Having all your security logic in one place allows for easy auditing and helps you avoid security mistakes. The safety and security of your data is our top priority.;Automatic Scaling- The Firebase API is built from the ground up for performance and scale. Whenever your data changes, Firebase calculates the minimum set of updates required to keep all your clients in sync. In addition, all Firebase API functions are designed to scale linearly with the size of the data being synchronized. More importantly, Firebase handles all of the scaling and operations for you. Your app will scale from its first user to its first million without any code changes.;Servers are Optional- Firebase can provide all of the data storage, control, and transmission needs of most apps. In many cases, Firebase can completely replace your server and server-side code. This means you no longer need to build complicated backend software and can instead focus on your application logic and your customers.
Full Postgres database; Instant RESTful API; Realtime notifications via websockets; APIs always in sync with your schema; Custom API docs for your schema; Built-in security & monitoring
Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
91.8K
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
10.5K
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
531
Followers
36.0K
Followers
456
Votes
2.0K
Votes
29
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 371
    Realtime backend made easy
  • 270
    Fast and responsive
  • 242
    Easy setup
  • 215
    Real-time
  • 191
    JSON
Cons
  • 31
    Can become expensive
  • 16
    No open source, you depend on external company
  • 15
    Scalability is not infinite
  • 9
    Not Flexible Enough
  • 7
    Cant filter queries
Pros
  • 7
    Relational Database
  • 6
    Self hosting
  • 3
    Free
  • 3
    Postgres hosting
  • 3
    Open source
Cons
  • 0
    No cons
Integrations
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
Streamlit
Streamlit
CodeSandbox
CodeSandbox
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
Arengu
Arengu
Stream
Stream
PostgREST
PostgREST
Replibyte
Replibyte
Directus
Directus
Trevor.io
Trevor.io
Prisma
Prisma

What are some alternatives to Firebase, Supabase?

Socket.IO

Socket.IO

It enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

PubNub

PubNub

PubNub makes it easy for you to add real-time capabilities to your apps, without worrying about the infrastructure. Build apps that allow your users to engage in real-time across mobile, browser, desktop and server.

Pusher

Pusher

Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features.

SignalR

SignalR

SignalR allows bi-directional communication between server and client. Servers can now push content to connected clients instantly as it becomes available. SignalR supports Web Sockets, and falls back to other compatible techniques for older browsers. SignalR includes APIs for connection management (for instance, connect and disconnect events), grouping connections, and authorization.

Ably

Ably

Ably offers WebSockets, stream resume, history, presence, and managed third-party integrations to make it simple to build, extend, and deliver digital realtime experiences at scale.

Syncano

Syncano

Syncano is a backend platform to build powerful real-time apps more efficiently. Integrate with any API, minimize boilerplate code and control your data - all from one place.

NATS

NATS

Unlike traditional enterprise messaging systems, NATS has an always-on dial tone that does whatever it takes to remain available. This forms a great base for building modern, reliable, and scalable cloud and distributed systems.

SocketCluster

SocketCluster

SocketCluster is a fast, highly scalable HTTP + realtime server engine which lets you build multi-process realtime servers that make use of all CPU cores on a machine/instance. It removes the limitations of having to run your Node.js server as a single thread and makes your backend resilient by automatically recovering from worker crashes and aggregating errors into a central log.

deepstream.io

deepstream.io

Scalable Server for Realtime Web Apps with JSON structures that can be read, manipulated and listened to, messages that can be sent to one or more subscribers, and request response workflows, between two clients or servers.

8base

8base

A cloud service designed to power enterprise-grade web and mobile applications that require support for large numbers of users, complex data and transactional requirements, comprehensive role-based security and a modern look-and-feel.

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