Supabase

Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service built on top of PostgreSQL — the most loved database in the world for 7 consecutive years. It gives you a production-ready backend stack without writing a single line of server code: a Postgres database with a real-time engine, built-in authentication, instant REST and GraphQL APIs, edge functions, and object storage, all in one deployable package.

Market opportunity

The backend-as-a-service market is worth $7B+ and accelerating. Firebase — Google's dominant BaaS — has millions of active projects, but growing teams are hitting its limits: vendor lock-in with a proprietary NoSQL database, unpredictable pricing that scales aggressively with usage, and zero control over your own data. Supabase addresses every one of those pain points with an open standard (PostgreSQL), transparent pricing, and full self-hosting support. With 70,000+ GitHub stars it is the fastest-growing open-source project in its category.

Technical overview

• Database: PostgreSQL with full SQL support, row-level security, and real-time subscriptions over WebSockets.
• Auth: JWT-based authentication with email/password, magic links, OAuth (Google, GitHub, Apple, etc.), and fine-grained role policies.
• APIs: Auto-generated REST (PostgREST) and GraphQL APIs from your database schema — no backend code needed.
• Storage: S3-compatible object storage with access policies tied to your auth system.
• Edge Functions: Deno-based serverless functions deployed globally.
• Self-hostable: Full Docker Compose setup — your data never leaves your infrastructure.

Who's it for

Startups moving fast and wanting a full backend without an ops team, SaaS founders who burned money on Firebase and want SQL, agencies that need to ship client apps in days, and enterprises that need data sovereignty.

Get started

Option 1 — Hosted (fastest):

1. Sign up at supabase.com — free tier includes a Postgres DB, auth, and 1 GB storage.
2. Create a project, open the Table Editor, and build your schema visually or with SQL.
3. Grab your project URL and anon key, then connect from your app:

import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js'
const supabase = createClient(SUPABASE_URL, SUPABASE_ANON_KEY)
const { data } = await supabase.from('posts').select('*')

Option 2 — Self-host:

git clone https://github.com/supabase/supabase
cd supabase/docker
cp .env.example .env   # set JWT_SECRET, POSTGRES_PASSWORD, etc.
docker compose up -d

Your full Supabase stack runs at http://localhost:8000. Enable email auth, create tables, and connect the same JS/Python/Dart client libraries.