Supabase vs Firebase vs Convex: Choosing Your Backend in 2026

Backend-as-a-Service platforms have matured significantly, but choosing between them remains one of the most consequential decisions for modern applications. In 2026, three platforms dominate the conversation: Supabase, Firebase, and the newcomer Convex.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Supabase	Firebase	Convex
Database	PostgreSQL	Firestore (NoSQL)	Custom (ACID)
Real-time	Yes	Yes	Yes (native)
Self-hosting	Yes	No	Yes
Pricing	Generous free tier	Pay-as-you-go	Generous free tier
Open Source	Yes	No	Yes (Feb 2025)

Supabase: The Open Source Firebase Alternative

Supabase calls itself "the open source Firebase alternative," but it's really its own thing—built on PostgreSQL with a focus on developer experience.

Supabase Strengths

PostgreSQL Power: Full SQL capabilities, joins, stored procedures, triggers. No NoSQL compromises.

Row Level Security: Built-in RLS policies let you secure data at the database level.

Instant APIs: RESTful and GraphQL APIs generated automatically from your schema.

Auth & Storage: Complete authentication system and S3-compatible file storage included.

Self-hostable: Run your entire Supabase stack on your own infrastructure.

Supabase Example

import { createClient } from "@supabase/supabase-js";

const supabase = createClient(url, key);

// Query with real-time subscription
const { data, error } = await supabase
  .from("posts")
  .select("*, author:users(*)")
  .order("created_at", { ascending: false });

// Real-time subscription
supabase
  .channel("posts")
  .on("postgres_changes", { event: "*", schema: "public" }, (payload) => {
    console.log("Change received!", payload);
  })
  .subscribe();

Firebase: The Established Player

Firebase has been Google's backend platform for over a decade. It's battle-tested, well-documented, and deeply integrated with the Google Cloud ecosystem.

Firebase Strengths

Massive Scale: Proven at massive scale—some of the world's largest apps run on Firebase.

Integration: Seamless integration with Google Analytics, Cloud Functions, and other GCP services.

Offline Support: Firestore's offline capabilities are best-in-class.

React Native: Firebase SDK for React Native is mature and well-supported.

Firebase Considerations

Vendor Lock-in: Fully proprietary. Migrating away from Firebase is a significant undertaking.

Firestore Pricing: Can get expensive quickly with heavy read operations.

NoSQL Limitations: Complex queries and joins are difficult or impossible.

Convex: The Reactive Newcomer

Convex went open source in February 2025 and has rapidly gained developer mindshare. It takes a fundamentally different approach—your backend logic lives in TypeScript functions that are automatically reactive.

Convex Strengths

True Reactivity: Data subscriptions are built into the core. When data changes, your UI updates automatically—no manual subscription management.

ACID Transactions: Full transactional guarantees, unlike eventually-consistent alternatives.

TypeScript Throughout: End-to-end type safety from database to frontend.

Serverless Functions: Define mutations and queries in TypeScript, deploy instantly.

Convex Example

// convex/posts.ts
import { query, mutation } from "./_generated/server";

export const list = query({
  handler: async (ctx) => {
    return await ctx.db.query("posts").order("desc").collect();
  },
});

export const create = mutation({
  args: { title: v.string(), content: v.string() },
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    return await ctx.db.insert("posts", args);
  },
});

// React component - automatically reactive!
function Posts() {
  const posts = useQuery(api.posts.list);
  return posts?.map(post => <Post key={post._id} {...post} />);
}

Pricing Comparison (2026)

Supabase

• Free: 500MB database, 1GB file storage, 50K MAU
• Pro ($25/mo): 8GB database, 100GB storage
• Team ($599/mo): SOC2, priority support

Firebase

• Spark (Free): 1GB Firestore storage, 50K reads/day
• Blaze (Pay-as-go): $0.18/100K reads, $0.18/100K writes

Convex

• Free: 1M function calls/month, 1GB storage
• Pro ($25/mo): 5M calls, 10GB storage
• Scale (Custom): Unlimited

When to Choose Each

Choose Supabase If:

• You need relational data with complex queries
• PostgreSQL expertise on your team
• Self-hosting is important
• You want an open-source foundation

Choose Firebase If:

• You're deep in the Google ecosystem
• Offline-first is critical
• You need proven scale
• Team knows Firestore well

Choose Convex If:

• Building highly reactive UIs
• Type safety is a priority
• You prefer simple, elegant abstractions
• Starting fresh without legacy constraints

Conclusion

There's no universally "best" choice—each platform excels in different scenarios. Supabase is ideal for SQL-first developers who want open-source control. Firebase remains strong for Google-integrated, offline-first applications. Convex offers the most elegant developer experience for reactive, real-time apps.

For new projects in 2026, both Supabase and Convex offer compelling free tiers to evaluate before committing.