Supabase: Open Source alternative to Firebase in 2026
Supabase is the open source backend-as-a-service built on PostgreSQL: database, authentication, storage, edge functions and realtime subscriptions, all self-hostable.
Audit Snapshot
View notes →License — Matches GitHub
GitHub — Active
Latest release — v1.26.08 · 2 months ago
Docker Compose — Partial
Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack
Supabase vs. Firebase
Pros
- Easier migration thanks to standard SQL
Things to consider
- The full self-hosted stack has quite a few services to maintain
Quick Docker installation guide
Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →
💡 Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?
- On the official cloud: a recurring monthly fee and usage limits on Firebase.
- On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
version: "3.9"
services:
studio:
image: supabase/studio:2026.09.28-sha-5e59b60
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- SUPABASE_URL=http://kong:8000 # CHANGE THIS TO YOUR DOMAIN once you're behind a reverse proxy
kong:
image: kong:2.8-alpine
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "8000:8000"
depends_on:
- db
db:
image: supabase/postgres:15.1.0.117
restart: unless-stopped
environment:
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=change-me-db-password # REQUIRED: generate a random secret before first run
volumes:
- supabase_db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
supabase_db_data:
🚀 Deploy in 1 command
Recommended for beginnersCopy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything — no nano, no pasting code blocks.
curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=supabase" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.shThis docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project — last commit today.
This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub →Technical profile
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Category
- Dev Tools
- Replaces
- Firebase
- Tech stack
- PostgreSQLPostgRESTDenoElixir
Under the hood
Database
PostgreSQL
Language
Multi-language (Elixir, Go, Rust)
Platforms
Web
Key features
- Full PostgreSQL database (not a subset)
- Auth with OAuth, magic links and RLS
- File storage with CDN
- Realtime subscriptions and Edge Functions
Preview
Public image provided by Supabase on its own website.
💾 Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)
As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update — that's the only thing you need to back up.
1. Create a compressed backup on the server
tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data2. Download it to your computer
From your computer's terminal (not your server's):
scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./3. Restore in case of emergency
tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL
Step 1 — Set up the DNS
In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:
- Type
- A
- Name/Host
- @ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
- Content/Value
- Your server's public IP
Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.
Step 2 — Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy
One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates — Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.
Create a file called Caddyfile:
yourdomain.com {
reverse_proxy localhost:3000
}Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):
docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy