Supabase Edge Functions vs Napkin
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Supabase Edge Functions and Napkin.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
Supabase Edge Functions
0 reviews
3.5/5
Napkin
0 reviews
Supabase Edge Functions is rated higher (4.0 vs 3.5). Supabase Edge Functions run TypeScript serverless functions at the edge using Deno. Close to your Supabase PostgreSQL database for low-latency operations. Free tier available. Napkin lets you write and run Node.js and Python serverless functions directly in the browser with zero setup, deploying them as authenticated HTTP endpoints.
Supabase Edge Functions TypeScript edge functions close to your Postgres DB | Napkin Write and deploy Node.js and Python functions as HTTP endpoints from a browser editor | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.5 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Supabase users who need webhook handlers, payment callbacks and short-lived server-side logic close to their Postgres database | Developers who need an HTTP endpoint today — webhooks, bots, scheduled automations, and prototypes — without opening a cloud console or running infrastructure. |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | Global edge network (regionally distributed Edge Runtime nodes); Supabase databases in AWS/GCP regions across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific | — |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tierapi accessopen source | free tier |
| Visit Supabase Edge Functions → | Visit Napkin → | |
Supabase Edge Functions
Pros
- + 500,000 free invocations per month — enough for real workloads before paying anything
- + Zero-configuration access to Supabase Postgres, Auth and Storage from inside functions
- + Same open-source edge runtime locally and in production, with hot reload and CI deploys
- + Transparent per-million invocation pricing ($2 per million over quota) with spending limits available
- + Global distribution with optional pinning to the database region
Cons
- - Value largely depends on being a Supabase customer — weak standalone proposition
- - Cold starts are documented; not suited to heavy synchronous work in request paths
- - Deno/Node boundary still blocks some Node packages and native modules
- - No public uptime SLA below the Enterprise tier
- - External log drains cost $60 per drain per project
Napkin
Pros
- + Genuinely free plan: $0/month with 25,000 API calls, unlimited functions, custom domains, and team invites
- + One-click deploy from a browser editor — Node.js and Python, no cloud console or CLI required
- + Clear published limits: 500 MB/0.5 vCPU free (2 GB/2 vCPU Pro), 15s/30s timeouts, explicit rate caps
- + Endpoint SSL, auth, production logs, and scheduled triggers included on both tiers
- + Pro tier is capacity-only at $10 per user per month — no feature gating, no sales call
Cons
- - No published SLA, regions, or data residency; small-vendor reliability story
- - Free tier caps at 5 requests/second and a 15-second timeout — real design constraints
- - Browser-only workflow with no local development story and no obvious export path
- - Node.js and Python only — no Go, Rust, PHP, or Ruby runtimes
- - Stale limit figures circulate on marketing and third-party pages, so verify before budgeting
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new hosting and infrastructure providers, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.