Finding the Right Backend for My App: Why I Chose Supabase

One of the key challenges in building an app is deciding on the right backend technology. There are so many options, from rolling out a custom backend with something like NestJS or Django to using a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution. Since I wanted to get started quickly and focus more on the frontend and user experience, I started evaluating different BaaS platforms.

Evaluating the Options: Supabase, Appwrite, and Firebase

I narrowed my choices down to three major players:

• Firebase: Google's well-known BaaS solution, offering Firestore, authentication, and serverless functions. While Firebase is well-integrated into the Google ecosystem, I wasn't a big fan of its NoSQL database and some of its pricing models.
• Appwrite: An open-source alternative that looked promising but seemed to require a bit more setup, especially since I’d need to self-host or rely on their managed cloud (which is still growing).
• Supabase: Marketed as the "open-source alternative to Firebase," it uses PostgreSQL as its database, which I see as a huge advantage.

Choosing Supabase: Fast and Simple Authentication

What ultimately pushed me towards Supabase was its authentication system. Authentication can be a real headache, but with Supabase, I was able to implement email authentication and social login (Google and Apple) in just a few hours. Their Flutter package provided a quick way to set up a UI for authentication, which saved me even more time.

BaaS: The Perfect Fit for Early Stages

At this stage, my app is still in its early development phase, meaning a lot of what I need is simple CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations. Supabase provides exactly that with an easy-to-use PostgreSQL database, so I don’t have to spend time building a backend from scratch.

A huge advantage of using Supabase is that it offers a generous free tier, which is perfect for the early stages of development when costs need to be kept low. Later, when the app scales and requires more resources, Supabase can be self-hosted, which means I have the flexibility to reduce long-term costs or move everything to my own infrastructure if needed.

Next Steps: Exploring Edge Functions

Another reason I’m happy with Supabase is its Edge Functions, which allow me to write custom server-side logic in TypeScript and Deno. Since I have years of TypeScript experience, this makes it easy to extend my app beyond simple database queries when needed.

Conclusion

By choosing Supabase, I’ve managed to get my app up and running with authentication and a backend in just a short time. BaaS solutions aren’t always the right fit for every project, but in my case—where I need fast iteration and a solid foundation—it has been a great choice. The fact that it’s free to start and can be self-hosted later makes it a future-proof option for my project.