Supabase Alternatives: 6 Backends Compared for 2026
The best Supabase alternatives compared: Firebase, Neon, Appwrite, Convex, PocketBase and Mythex. Databases, free tiers, pricing and who each one suits.
Mythex Team · · 7 min read
The best Supabase alternatives are Firebase for mobile-first apps with offline sync, Neon if you only need serverless Postgres, Appwrite for an open-source backend that also does messaging and hosting, Convex for TypeScript teams that want a reactive backend, PocketBase for small self-hosted projects, and Mythex if you'd rather have an AI build the whole app with a database included. Supabase itself is still a strong default: Postgres, auth, storage and functions in one place, open source and self-hostable. Switch because a specific limit is hurting you, not because another tool is new.
What Supabase offers today
Supabase is a backend platform built on Postgres. As of September 2026 it lists six core products: a dedicated Postgres database with auto-generated APIs, Auth with Row Level Security, S3-compatible Storage, Edge Functions (TypeScript on Deno), Realtime, and Vector (embeddings with pgvector). It says all core tools are open source and self-hostable.
Pricing, as of September 2026:
- Free: 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users, 1 GB file storage, 2 active projects. Free projects are paused after 1 week of inactivity.
- Pro, from $25/month: 8 GB disk per project, 100,000 monthly active users, 100 GB file storage, daily backups kept 7 days, plus usage above the included quotas.
- Team, from $599/month, and custom Enterprise.
Why people look for Supabase alternatives
- They want a different data model. Some apps fit a document database or a reactive, code-first backend better than SQL tables.
- They only need the database. If you already have auth and hosting sorted, a full backend platform may be more than you need.
- Free projects pausing. A side project that gets few visits can be paused on the Free plan.
- Cost at scale. Usage above the Pro quotas is billed extra, so some teams compare.
- Offline mobile sync. Supabase focuses on Postgres; some mobile apps want offline-first sync built in.
Supabase alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Database | Open source / self-host | Free plan (as of Sept 2026) | Paid entry (as of Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase | All-round Postgres backend | Postgres | Yes | 500 MB DB, 2 active projects | Pro from $25/mo + usage |
| Firebase | Mobile-first apps, offline sync | Firestore (NoSQL); Postgres via SQL Connect | No | Spark: 1 GiB Firestore | Blaze: pay as you go |
| Neon | Serverless Postgres only | Postgres | Not covered here | 100 projects, 0.5 GB each | Launch: usage-based |
| Appwrite | Open-source all-in-one backend | TablesDB; managed Postgres/MySQL options | Yes | Free plan listed | See pricing page |
| Convex | TypeScript teams, reactive apps | Convex's own database | Yes | 0.5 GB storage, 1M function calls | Professional $25/developer/mo |
| PocketBase | Small self-hosted apps | SQLite | Yes, self-hosted only | Free software | Your own server costs |
| Mythex | Whole app built by AI, DB included | Postgres per project | Export on Pro | 10 credits/day | Pro $25/mo |
Prices change often. Check each vendor's pricing page before you commit.
How we compared
We compared the publicly stated features, limits and prices on each vendor's own website, pricing page and documentation as of September 2026. We did not do hands-on testing or performance benchmarks, and we left out claims we couldn't confirm on the vendors' own pages. Prices are in US dollars. Mythex facts come from our product documentation.
Firebase: the closest all-in-one alternative
Firebase is Google's app development platform. Its main database, Cloud Firestore, is a NoSQL document database with realtime sync and offline caching on devices. It also offers Authentication, Hosting, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, and SQL Connect for Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL.
- Pricing (as of September 2026): Spark is free with no payment method: 1 GiB Firestore storage, 50K reads and 20K writes a day, 50K monthly active users for Authentication. Blaze is pay as you go and required for Cloud Functions, App Hosting and new Cloud Storage buckets.
- Strengths: offline sync for mobile apps, realtime listeners, the wider Google Cloud ecosystem.
- Limits: not open source; document data is harder to query across relationships; pay-per-read bills need watching.
- Pick it if you're building a mobile-first app. Our full Supabase vs Firebase comparison goes deeper.
Neon: when you only need Postgres
Neon is a serverless Postgres service. Databases scale to zero when idle and you can create branches, copies of your database for testing changes.
- Pricing (as of September 2026): Free is $0 with 100 projects, 0.5 GB storage and 100 compute-unit hours per project, and compute scales to zero after 5 minutes. Launch and Scale are pay as you go with no monthly minimum: storage at $0.35 per GB-month and compute from $0.106 per compute-unit hour on Launch.
- Strengths: plain Postgres, so any Postgres tool or ORM works; branching for safe testing; auth included for up to 60,000 monthly active users on Free.
- Limits: it's a database, not a full backend. You bring your own file storage and serverless functions.
- Pick it if you like Supabase's Postgres but don't use the rest of the platform.
Appwrite: open source, with messaging and hosting
Appwrite calls itself an open-source cloud for agents and developers. It offers Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging (email, SMS and push notifications), Realtime and Sites for hosting frontends, in the cloud or self-hosted.
- Pricing (as of September 2026): Appwrite lists Free, Pro and Scale plans. Its serverless database has no fixed fee and includes $10 a month of database compute credits; dedicated databases, including PostgreSQL and MySQL options, start at $10/month per database. We couldn't confirm the plan prices themselves on the pricing page, so check it directly.
- Strengths: broad feature set in one product, including messaging and frontend hosting; self-hostable.
- Limits: its default database is Appwrite's own, not plain Postgres, unless you choose a dedicated Postgres option.
- Pick it if you want an open-source, all-in-one backend and would use messaging or hosting too.
Convex: a reactive backend in TypeScript
Convex describes itself as a reactive backend platform. You write your database queries and server functions in TypeScript, and connected clients see changes in real time. Convex says its self-hosted version runs the same open-source backend as its cloud service.
- Pricing (as of September 2026): Free & Starter is $0 plus pay as you go, with 1 million function calls, 0.5 GB database storage and 1 GB egress included. Professional is $25 per developer per month, with 25 million function calls and 50 GB storage included. Business & Enterprise has a $2,500 monthly minimum.
- Strengths: end-to-end type safety, realtime by default, no separate API layer to write.
- Limits: it's not SQL, and Professional is priced per developer, which adds up for larger teams.
- Pick it if your team works in TypeScript and your app is highly interactive, such as collaborative tools or live dashboards.
PocketBase: a backend in one file
PocketBase is an open-source backend that ships as a single file. It includes an embedded SQLite database with realtime subscriptions, email/password and OAuth2 sign-up, file storage (local or S3), and an admin dashboard. You can extend it with Go or JavaScript.
- Pricing: the software is free. You pay for the server you run it on.
- Strengths: very simple to run; everything in one place; good for prototypes, internal tools and small apps.
- Limits: self-hosted only, so backups, updates and uptime are your job. As of September 2026 the current version is 0.x, so expect changes before a 1.0 release.
- Pick it if you're comfortable running a small server and want the simplest possible backend.
Mythex: when you want the whole app, not just a backend
Supabase and the tools above are backends. You still need to build the frontend, connect it, and host it. Mythex is an AI app builder: you describe the app in chat, an AI agent writes the code and runs it in a live preview, and you publish to yourname.mythex.ai or, on Pro, your own domain.
- Database included: when your app needs to save data, Mythex adds a dedicated Postgres database for that project. It sleeps after 5 idle minutes and wakes on the next request, and you're billed for the time it's awake. File storage for uploads is available too.
- One balance: the same credits pay for building, hosting, the database and storage. See hosting limits.
- Pricing: Free is $0 with 10 credits a day (up to 30 a month). Pro is $25/month or $250/year with 100 credits a month plus 5 a day, custom domains, export and GitHub sync, and half-price hosting.
Where Supabase is better than Mythex: Supabase gives you direct control of a full backend platform, including built-in Auth, Edge Functions and Realtime, for any frontend or mobile app you build. Mythex has no built-in end-user login; the agent wires up the provider you choose. Mythex builds web apps only, not native App Store apps. If you're a developer who wants a backend for your own code, Supabase or one of the tools above is the better fit.
How to choose
- Mobile app, offline sync: Firebase.
- Just need Postgres: Neon.
- Open source, all-in-one, self-hostable: Appwrite, or stay on Supabase and self-host it.
- TypeScript and realtime-heavy: Convex.
- Tiny app, your own server: PocketBase.
- You want the app built for you: an AI app builder like Mythex. Our guide to how to add a database to your app explains the choices in plain terms, and what Postgres is covers why so many of these tools use it.
Before you migrate, export your data, list every place your app talks to the backend (auth, storage, functions, realtime), and test the move on a copy. If you're weighing a custom build against off-the-shelf tools more broadly, see build vs buy software for small business.
Questions
What is the best alternative to Supabase?
It depends on why you're leaving. Firebase is the closest all-in-one alternative, especially for mobile apps. Neon suits people who only need serverless Postgres. Appwrite suits people who want an open-source backend with messaging and hosting. Convex suits TypeScript teams who want a reactive backend, and PocketBase suits small self-hosted projects.
Is there a free alternative to Supabase?
Yes. As of September 2026, Firebase, Neon, Appwrite and Convex all have free plans, and PocketBase is free, open-source software you run on your own server. Each free plan has different limits, so compare storage, requests and whether idle projects are paused.
What is the best Supabase alternative for just a Postgres database?
Neon is the most direct option if you only need managed Postgres. As of September 2026 its Free plan includes 100 projects with 0.5 GB of storage each, and paid plans are usage-based with no monthly minimum. You bring your own auth and file storage.
Can I self-host a Supabase alternative?
Yes. Appwrite, Convex and PocketBase can all be self-hosted, according to their own sites. Supabase itself is also open source and self-hostable, which is worth knowing if self-hosting is your only reason to switch.