Supabase vs Napkin
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Supabase and Napkin.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
Supabase
0 reviews
3.5/5
Napkin
0 reviews
Supabase is rated higher (4.0 vs 3.5). Supabase is a backend-as-a-service platform providing PostgreSQL databases, real-time subscriptions, authentication, and storage. Built for developers who want PostgreSQL's power without vendor lock-in. 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 Open-source Firebase alternative with PostgreSQL | 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 | Teams building web and mobile apps who want a relational backend — Postgres with auth, storage, realtime, and APIs — without operating infrastructure, and who value an open-source exit path. | Developers who need an HTTP endpoint today — webhooks, bots, scheduled automations, and prototypes — without opening a cloud console or running infrastructure. |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | — |
| RAM | 1 GB | — |
| Storage | 1 GB | — |
| Bandwidth | — | — |
| SLA uptime | 99.9% | — |
| Data-center count | 17 | — |
| €/GB RAM/mo | €0.00 | — |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ✓ | |
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Brazil, India, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia | — |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tiermanaged options3 compatibleeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi accessopen source | free tier |
| Visit Supabase → | Visit Napkin → | |
Supabase
Pros
- + Real PostgreSQL with SQL, extensions, migrations, and row-level security — no schema lock-in
- + Generous free tier: 50,000 MAU, 500MB database, unlimited API requests
- + Bundled auth, realtime, S3-compatible storage, APIs, and edge functions on one platform
- + Open source with a documented self-host path — a genuine exit if the managed service stops fitting
- + Transparent, detailed pricing page and 17 AWS regions to place data close to users
Cons
- - Bills grow legs: per-project compute, usage overages, and add-ons (PITR $100/mo per 7 days) stack up
- - Uptime SLA (99.9%) is Enterprise-only; support SLAs need the $599/mo Team plan
- - Free projects pause after a week of inactivity and skip automatic backups
- - Auth, realtime, storage, and functions layers are Supabase-specific to migrate away from
- - Scaling to high concurrency means moving to dedicated compute instances with sharp price steps
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
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