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Supabase Pricing Explained: Understand Supabase Pricing Model

supabase pricing - Softwarecosmos.com

Supabase is a platform that helps developers build apps with a database, authentication, and other backend tools. It’s like an easier way to set up a backend without managing servers. Their pricing is designed to fit different needs, from beginners to big companies. Let’s break it down in simple terms.

Why Supabase Pricing Matters

Supabase offers plans that grow with your project. You can start for free and only pay more as your app gets bigger. They charge based on things like database size, bandwidth, and computing power, but they try to keep it predictable so you don’t get surprise bills.

Supabase Pricing Plans

Supabase has four main plans: Free, Pro, Team, and Enterprise. Each plan gives you different features and limits. Here’s a quick look at them:

1. Free Plan

  • Cost: $0

  • Best for: Beginners, students, or small hobby projects.

  • What you get:

    • Two free projects (each project is a full app with a database, auth, and more).

    • 500 MB database size per project.

    • 1 GB file storage.

    • 2 GB bandwidth (data transfer).

    • 50,000 monthly active users for authentication.

    • Basic features like a Postgres database, real-time updates, and authentication.

  • Limits: Projects pause after 7 days of inactivity, and you can’t use some advanced features like custom domains.

  • Good to know: Perfect for testing or learning. If your app grows, you’ll need to upgrade.

2. Pro Plan

  • Cost: Starts at $25/month per organization + extra for compute.

  • Best for: Small apps or startups that need more power.

  • What you get:

    • Everything in the Free Plan, but with higher limits.

    • 8 GB database size per project.

    • 5 GB file storage.

    • 50 GB bandwidth.

    • 100,000 monthly active users for authentication.

    • No pausing of projects.

    • Daily backups and priority support.

    • $10 compute credits to cover one project’s compute costs (extra projects cost ~$10/month each).

  • Limits: You can set a spend cap to avoid extra charges, but you’ll pay for usage beyond the included limits.

  • Good to know: Great for apps with real users. You can have multiple projects under one organization.

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3. Team Plan

  • Cost: Starts at $599/month (contact Supabase for exact pricing).

  • Best for: Growing businesses with bigger needs.

  • What you get:

    • Everything in the Pro Plan, plus advanced features.

    • 100 GB database size.

    • 50 GB file storage.

    • 500 GB bandwidth.

    • 1,000,000 monthly active users for authentication.

    • Advanced security features like SOC2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliance.

    • Priority support and team management tools.

  • Limits: Still has usage-based charges for things like extra bandwidth or storage.

  • Good to know: Good for apps with lots of users or strict security needs.

4. Enterprise Plan

  • Cost: Custom pricing (you need to contact Supabase).

  • Best for: Large companies with complex apps.

  • What you get:

    • Custom limits for database, storage, and bandwidth.

    • Dedicated support and custom contracts.

    • Advanced features like private networking or custom compute sizes.

  • Good to know: This is for big projects that need special setups or high performance.

How Supabase Charges Work

Supabase bills per organization, not per project. An organization can have multiple projects, but you only pay one subscription fee (Free, Pro, Team, or Enterprise). Here’s how the costs add up:

  • Database Size: You pay for the total size of your database. For example, if you go over 500 MB on the Free Plan, you’ll need to upgrade or reduce your data.

  • File Storage: This is for storing images, videos, or other files. You’re charged based on how much you store.

  • Bandwidth: This is the data transferred between your app and users. More users or heavy files (like videos) mean more bandwidth.

  • Compute: Every project runs on a virtual machine (VM). The Free Plan includes a basic “Starter” VM. Paid plans give you $10 compute credits to cover one VM, but extra projects cost ~$10/month each. You can upgrade to bigger VMs (like Small, Medium, or Large) for more power, which costs more (e.g., ~$15/month for Small, ~$60/month for Medium).

  • Add-ons: Things like custom domains, advanced backups, or log drains cost extra.

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Example Costs

  • Free Plan: $0 for two small projects. Great for testing.

  • Pro Plan with 1 project: $25/month (includes compute for one project).

  • Pro Plan with 3 projects: $25/month + ~$20 for two extra projects’ compute = ~$45/month.

  • Going over limits: If you use more bandwidth or storage than your plan allows, you’ll pay extra (e.g., $0.09/GB for bandwidth, $0.125/GB for storage).

Tips to Save Money

  • Use the Free Plan for testing: Start with the Free Plan to try Supabase without spending money.

  • Pause projects: On the Free Plan, pause projects you’re not using to stay under the two-project limit.

  • Set a spend cap: On the Pro Plan, turn on the spend cap to avoid unexpected charges.

  • Optimize your app: Use Supabase’s real-time features instead of constant API polling to save on bandwidth.

  • Monitor usage: Check your dashboard to see how much database, storage, or bandwidth you’re using.

Additional Important Information

Here are some key details to understand Supabase pricing fully:

  • Compute Credits: Paid plans include $10 monthly compute credits, enough for one Starter instance. Credits don’t roll over and only apply to compute costs.

  • Paused Projects: Free Plan projects pause after 7 days of inactivity to save resources. Paid plans keep projects running 24/7.

  • Billing Cycle: Charges are calculated at the end of the month based on usage. No upfront compute charges for paid plans—you pay for what you use.

  • Spend Cap: On the Pro Plan, enable a spend cap to limit usage-based costs (e.g., extra bandwidth or storage). If you hit the cap, some features (like storage uploads) may pause until the next cycle.

  • Rate Limiting: To avoid performance issues, optimize queries with proper indexing and use tools like pg_stat_statements to find slow queries. For high-traffic apps, consider load testing with tools like k6 to prepare for spikes.

  • Upgrading Plans: Upgrading from Free to Pro is seamless, with no immediate charges. Billing adjusts at the end of the cycle. If you exceed Free Plan limits, you must upgrade or reduce usage to restore functionality.

  • Compliance: Team and Enterprise plans offer SOC2 and HIPAA compliance, critical for apps handling sensitive data (e.g., medical or financial apps).

  • AI and Vector Search: Supabase supports AI features like semantic search using pgvector and Edge Functions. These may increase compute or storage needs, so factor them into your plan if you’re building AI-powered apps.

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Why Choose Supabase’s Pricing?

Supabase’s pricing is designed to be fair and clear. They offer:

  • A generous Free Plan for starting out.

  • Predictable costs with spend caps and clear limits.

  • Flexibility to scale as your app grows.

  • No charges for API calls, which saves money for apps with lots of requests.

Compared to other platforms like Firebase, Supabase is often cheaper for storage and bandwidth, especially for video or file-heavy apps. Plus, it uses PostgreSQL, a powerful database that’s great for complex apps.

Final Thoughts

Supabase’s pricing is simple and grows with you. The Free Plan is awesome for learning or small projects, while the Pro and Team plans work for apps with real users. If you’re building something huge, the Enterprise Plan gives you custom options. Just keep an eye on your usage to avoid extra costs, and you’re good to go!

For more details, check out Supabase’s pricing page.

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