Supabase
Swell
| Feature | Supabase | Swell |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $25/mo | Free / from $299/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, startups, indie-hackers, full-stack-teams | developers, subscription-businesses, custom-ecommerce, b2b-commerce |
| Founded | 2020 | 2016 |
| Postgres Database | ✓ | ✗ |
| Authentication | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edge Functions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time | ✓ | ✗ |
| Storage | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vector Embeddings | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Headless Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Subscriptions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi Currency | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Models | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Admin Dashboard | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Supabase Pros
- Full Postgres with SQL access
- Generous free tier (500MB, 50K monthly active users)
- Auth, storage, and edge functions included
- Open-source and self-hostable
✗ Supabase Cons
- Can be complex for non-developers
- Pauses inactive free projects after 7 days
- Real-time can be expensive at scale
✓ Swell Pros
- Extremely flexible API
- Built-in subscription support
- Good for unique business models
- Developer-friendly
✗ Swell Cons
- Requires development resources
- Expensive for small stores
- Smaller ecosystem
The Verdict
Supabase is built for developers and startups, with a focus on postgres-database and authentication. Swell targets developers and subscription businesses and leads with headless-api and subscriptions.
On pricing, Supabase is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $25/mo compared to $299/mo for Swell. That $274/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Supabase edges out on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Supabase offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Swell takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Supabase has a slight overall edge — but if extremely flexible api matters most to you, Swell may still be the right call.