Supabase is the Firebase alternative that doesn't trap you in a proprietary ecosystem.
Supabase gives you Postgres with a REST API, built-in auth, real-time subscriptions, and file storage — all on open source infrastructure. We build applications on Supabase for teams that want full-stack capabilities without building authentication and storage from scratch.
Application that needs real-time features, authentication, and file storage in a unified platform — without the lock-in of Firebase or the operational complexity of managing separate services
Supabase is the right choice for a specific category of applications: those that need real-time subscriptions, want auth bundled with the database, and prefer the open source Postgres foundation over Firebase's proprietary NoSQL.
The trade-offs to understand before choosing Supabase:
What Supabase is excellent at. Real-time subscriptions on database changes (Supabase Realtime listens to Postgres CDC). Row Level Security (RLS) for user-scoped data access without application-level filtering. Storage with bucket access policies. Auth that's integrated with the database user model.
Where Supabase adds complexity. Row Level Security policies are Postgres SQL policies that run on every query. They're powerful but require understanding Postgres security contexts. Edge Functions (Supabase's serverless functions) have a different runtime from Next.js API routes. The Supabase client library and the Next.js patterns don't always align cleanly.
When to choose Neon + Clerk instead. If you don't need real-time database subscriptions or don't want RLS-based data access patterns, Neon + Clerk + Drizzle is often a simpler stack. Supabase's value is highest for applications where real-time data and RLS are core requirements.
Supabase application with auth, real-time subscriptions, storage, and the Postgres data model designed correctly for the application's use cases
Schema and RLS
Postgres schema with Supabase's auth integration. Row Level Security policies that scope data access to authenticated users correctly. Policy testing for security correctness.
Auth implementation
Supabase Auth with email/password, magic link, and social login (Google, GitHub). Auth state management in Next.js with the Supabase SSR client.
Real-time subscriptions
Realtime channel subscriptions on relevant tables. Client-side subscription management in React. Performance considerations for subscription volume.
Storage
Supabase Storage buckets with access policies. File upload from the application. Signed URL generation for private file access.
Edge Functions
Supabase Edge Functions for server-side logic that needs to run close to the database (Deno runtime). Webhook handlers, scheduled jobs, and custom API endpoints.
One honest number to start.
Fixed-scope, fixed-price. The number below is the starting point — final scope is built from your brief.
Supabase application with auth, real-time subscriptions, storage, and the Postgres data model designed correctly for the application's use cases
Three steps, every time.
The same repeatable engagement on every project. No surprises, no mystery, no billable ambiguity.
Brief & discovery.
We send you questions, then get on a call. Output: a written scope with every step, feature, and integration listed.
Build & ship.
Fixed schedule, weekly reviews. No scope creep unless you change the scope — and if you do, we reprice it transparently.
Warranty & retainer.
30-day warranty on every launch. Most clients stay on a monthly retainer for ongoing features and maintenance.
Why Fixed-Price Matters Here
Supabase implementations have defined scope: the schema, the auth configuration, and the real-time and storage requirements. Fixed price.
Related engagements.
Questions, answered.
Supabase's auth is the right choice when you're already using Supabase and want the auth/database integration (RLS policies can reference the current user). Clerk is the right choice when you want richer user management UI, organization/team support, and don't need RLS-based data access.
RLS policies are Postgres security expressions that run on every query. They're powerful but require understanding Postgres's security model. The common mistake: policies that look correct but don't cover all paths into the data (database functions bypassing RLS, for example).
Full-stack Supabase application: from $25k. Fixed-price.
Tell Ryel about your project.
Describe what you’re building and what outcome you need. You’ll have a written, fixed-price scope within the week.