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Supabase vs Neon
Both are hosted Postgres. Supabase adds auth, file storage, and a table editor on the $0 plan, and a free project pauses after a week idle. Neon is the database itself, it scales to zero after 5 minutes, and the free plan includes auth up to 60,000 monthly active users. Pick Supabase when you want the backend extras. Pick Neon when the app code already exists and the missing piece is Postgres.
Honest pick for a first backend: Supabase. Honest pick when you already have the app and you only need the database: Neon.
Prices were checked October 15, 2026 on the official pages linked in the table. A number that was not printed there stays TBD. Pair pages that repeat a full guide are not listed here. Those guides stay the canonical page.
Comparison
Prices checked on the official pages linked in the cells.
| Tool | Best for | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase (opens in a new tab) | Postgres, login, and files together | $0. 500 MB database per project, 50,000 monthly active users, 5 GB egress, 1 GB file storage, and 2 active projects. Free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. Checked October 15, 2026 on https://supabase.com/pricing (opens in a new tab). | Pro starts at $25 a month. That includes $10 in compute credits, which covers one Micro project, 8 GB disk per project (then $0.125 per GB), and 100,000 monthly active users (then $0.00325 each). Team starts at $599 a month. Checked October 15, 2026 on https://supabase.com/pricing (opens in a new tab). |
| Neon (opens in a new tab) | Postgres that sleeps when you are idle | $0, and no credit card. 1 GB of Postgres per project, 20 GB across the account, 100 CU-hours of compute per project, 5 GB egress per project, and up to 60,000 monthly active users. Compute scales to zero after 5 minutes. Checked October 15, 2026 on https://neon.com/pricing (opens in a new tab). | Launch and Scale have no monthly minimum, so a flat monthly price is TBD. Launch compute is $0.106 per CU-hour. Storage is $0.35 per GB-month. Invoices under $0.50 are not collected. Checked October 15, 2026 on https://neon.com/pricing (opens in a new tab). |
Who each tool is for
Supabase
You want to open a table, see the rows, and turn on login without adding a second vendor.
Neon
The app is already in a repo, you want SQL, and you do not want a database compute bill while the project sits unused overnight.
One downside each
- Supabase. A free project pauses after a week if nobody uses it. On Pro, the $10 compute credit covers one Micro project. A second project adds its own compute cost.
- Neon. Free compute stops for the rest of the period at 100 CU-hours or 5 GB of egress. Writes stop past 1 GB in a project. There is no flat paid price.
Questions
Are Supabase and Neon the same kind of database?
Yes. Both are Postgres. Supabase wraps it with auth, storage, and a dashboard aimed at reading rows. Neon is the Postgres service, and its compute scales to zero after 5 minutes. Auth on Neon Free is included up to 60,000 monthly active users.
Which free plan is larger?
Neon Free allows 1 GB per project and 20 GB across the account. Supabase Free allows 500 MB per project and 2 active projects. Supabase also includes 1 GB of file storage. Neon sleeps after 5 minutes. Supabase pauses after a week idle.
What does paid cost?
Supabase Pro starts at $25 a month and the included compute credit covers one Micro project. Neon does not list a flat monthly price, so that number is TBD. Neon Launch compute is $0.106 per CU-hour and storage is $0.35 per GB-month.
Where does Firebase fit?
Firebase is documents, not Postgres. Supabase vs Firebase is the guide at https://buildstackweekly.com/supabase-vs-firebase (opens in a new tab). All three are on https://buildstackweekly.com/best-database-for-vibe-coders (opens in a new tab).
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