Introduction

Most people searching “Supabase alternatives” are not browsing for fun. They are usually trying to swap the same bundle (Postgres + auth + storage + realtime), or they have realized they only need part of what Supabase provides and want a cleaner setup.

Sometimes it is about control: self-hosting, a clearer exit path, or fewer moving pieces. Sometimes it is friction: Row Level Security and policies, storage backup expectations, edge runtimes, or the day-to-day workflow for a team.

This guide is organized the way teams actually decide. Quick picks first, then a simple “what are you replacing” checkpoint, then deeper notes on the best options.

TL;DR quick picks

• Firebase if you want the most mature mobile-first platform with deep SDK support and a huge ecosystem.

• Appwrite if open source and real self-hosting are part of the requirement and you want an “all-in-one BaaS” feel.

• PocketBase if you want a lightweight, self-hosted backend for small apps, prototypes, or internal tools.

• Nhost if your team is GraphQL-first and wants subscriptions and permissions in that workflow.

• Convex if you want a TypeScript-centric backend experience and reactive patterns without living in Postgres policies.

• Neon if what you really want is serverless Postgres and you are happy assembling auth and storage separately.

• Tadabase if the real job is shipping the app (pages, portals, permissions, workflows) without building the frontend in code.

Before you pick an alternative, confirm what you are replacing

Supabase is a developer backend platform built around Postgres plus primitives like auth, storage, realtime, and edge functions. It is built for teams wiring a backend into their own frontend.

The key question is simple: Do you want a Supabase replacement (a BaaS), or do you actually want a faster way to ship the full app?

If you want to ship a complete business app without building the frontend, Tadabase is a different category. Tadabase includes the UI layer (pages, portals, permissions, workflows) out of the box. Supabase does not try to do that.

A lot of “Supabase alternatives” lists skip this distinction, which is why people end up comparing tools that solve different layers.

A fast decision tree

If you want the most mature managed platform for mobile apps, pick Firebase.

If you want open source plus real self-hosting, pick Appwrite (suite) or PocketBase (lightweight).

If you want GraphQL as the default way of working, pick Nhost.

If you want TypeScript-native workflows and reactive patterns, pick Convex.

If you only want Postgres (not a full BaaS), pick Neon (or another managed Postgres) and add auth and storage separately.

If you want to ship a full internal tool or portal fast without building the frontend, consider Tadabase.

Comparison table

The most common reasons teams move off Supabase

These show up a lot in developer discussions. Not everyone hits them, but if you are researching alternatives, you will probably recognize at least one.

Policy complexity: Supabase often leans on Postgres Row Level Security for authorization. It is powerful, but some teams do not want so much logic living in policies.

Storage expectations: Teams sometimes discover their backup story for file storage is not what they assumed, so they plan a separate storage backup approach.

Runtime preferences: Some teams want conventional server functions, others like edge patterns. The “best” choice depends on how your team ships and debugs production code.

They only wanted Postgres: If Supabase is mostly being used as hosted Postgres, a focused Postgres provider can be a simpler fit.

Too much platform, or not enough: Supabase covers a lot. Some alternatives win by being narrower and easier to reason about, others win by being more opinionated.

The best Supabase alternatives in 2026

1) Firebase

Choose Firebase when you are building mobile-first apps, realtime experiences, or you want the most mature set of hosted building blocks and SDK support.

Watch outs: if your data is highly relational (joins, reporting), you may miss SQL. Costs can also get confusing if reads and writes are not modeled carefully.

2) Appwrite

Choose Appwrite when you want a Supabase-like suite but self-hosting is a real requirement.

Watch outs: self-hosting is control, but it also means upgrades, monitoring, and incidents are on you.

3) PocketBase

Choose PocketBase when you want a small, fast, self-hosted backend for a lightweight app, prototype, or internal tool.

Watch outs: SQLite-based backends are great for certain app shapes and not great for others. If you are building a large multi-tenant SaaS, pressure-test constraints early.

4) Nhost

Choose Nhost when you want GraphQL as your default workflow and you like the idea of subscriptions and permissions in that world.

Watch outs: GraphQL-first is a real commitment. It is great when the team is aligned and painful when it is not.

5) Convex

Choose Convex when you want a TypeScript-centric backend experience and reactive patterns, and you do not want to spend your time inside Postgres policies.

Watch outs: you are choosing a different backend model than SQL-first systems, so confirm export and migration paths for your use case.

6) Neon

Choose Convex when you want a TypeScript-centric backend experience and reactive patterns, and you do not want to spend your time inside Postgres policies.

Watch outs: you are choosing a different backend model than SQL-first systems, so confirm export and migration paths for your use case.

Where Tadabase fits on a Supabase alternatives page

Supabase is for teams building a custom app UI in code and wanting a backend platform behind it.

Tadabase is for teams that want to ship the app itself: portals, dashboards, forms, permissions, and workflows, without building the frontend.

That is why Tadabase is not a 1:1 “Supabase replacement.” It is often the better outcome when the real job is “replace spreadsheets,” “launch an internal tool,” or “give customers a portal,” and engineering bandwidth is limited.

Frequently asked questions

Is there anything better than Supabase?

Sometimes, yes, depending on what “better” means for your team. Firebase often wins for mobile-first maturity. Appwrite and PocketBase show up when self-hosting matters. Convex is popular when teams want a TypeScript-first workflow. Neon is a great choice when the real need is just Postgres.

What is the biggest downside of Supabase?

For some teams it is not a single “downside,” it is where complexity lives: database policies, the runtime story, and making sure storage and backups match expectations.

What is the best open source Supabase alternative?

If “open source plus self-host” is the priority, Appwrite is commonly shortlisted because it is built as an open-source backend platform and supports self-hosting.

What is the best Supabase alternative for pure Postgres?

If you want managed or serverless Postgres and do not need the full BaaS bundle, Neon is a strong candidate.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a Supabase alternative, decide what you are actually replacing.

If you want a Supabase-like backend, you are usually choosing a tradeoff: Firebase for mobile-first maturity, Appwrite or PocketBase for self-hosting, Nhost for GraphQL-first teams, Convex for TypeScript-first workflows, or Neon if you only want Postgres.

If what you really want is to ship a working app quickly with pages, portals, permissions, and workflows already built in, Tadabase is worth looking at. It is not a backend you wire into your own frontend. It is an app builder that takes you from data to a usable internal tool or customer portal without building everything in code.