supabase vs prest
Two of the top projects in Backends and databases, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
supabase
Postgres backend with auth, storage, realtime and edge functions
prest
REST and read-only MCP API generated from a PostgreSQL or MySQL database
Verdict
supabase ranks higher, 73 to 72. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, supabase leads on 2, prest on 2 and 1 is even.
- Adoptionsupabase leads by 78 points, 98 to 20: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenanceprest leads by 8 points, 80 to 72.
- Easy to runprest leads by 67 points, 100 to 33: a wide gap.
- Agent-readysupabase leads by 85 points, 85 to 0: a wide gap.
Pick supabase if you are
Developers needing a Postgres backend with auth, storage and vectors
- Built on Postgres, PostgREST, GoTrue and Realtime, so the data layer is plain SQL
- Official clients for JavaScript/TypeScript, Flutter, Swift and Python
Pick prest if you are
Developers who want an instant REST or MCP API over an existing SQL database
- Generates CRUD REST routes straight from an existing Postgres or MySQL schema
- Custom SQL query scripts support bound parameters via sqlVal, sqlList and ident helpers
| What we compare | supabase | prest |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 98, widely used | 20, niche |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 72, fair | 80, healthy |
| Easy to run | 33, some setup | 100, very easy |
| Agent-ready | 85, ready | 0, none |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 111.6k | 4.6k |
| License | Apache-2.0 (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Aug 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Docker | Yes | Yes |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Not stated | Mentioned |
supabase
Supabase bundles a Postgres database with generated REST and GraphQL APIs, JWT-based auth, S3-backed file storage, realtime change feeds over websockets, and edge functions. It also includes a vector and embeddings toolkit for AI workloads. It runs as a hosted platform, can be self-hosted, or run locally, and has official clients for JavaScript, Flutter, Swift and Python.
Who it is for: Developers needing a Postgres backend with auth, storage and vectors
Strengths
- Built on Postgres, PostgREST, GoTrue and Realtime, so the data layer is plain SQL
- Official clients for JavaScript/TypeScript, Flutter, Swift and Python
- Hosted, self-hosted and local development options
- Apache-2.0 license; vector and embeddings toolkit included
Weaknesses
- Many separate services to run when self-hosting; README gives no resource requirements
- Go, Java, Rust, Ruby and C# clients are community-maintained, some partial
- Repo has no Docker or compose files; self-hosting is documented elsewhere
- no GPU
- Compose
- Needs PostgreSQL, S3-compatible storage, Envoy
prest
pREST is a Go service that exposes tables in an existing PostgreSQL (9.5+) or MySQL (8.0.19+) database as REST endpoints at /{database}/{schema}/{table}, with auth, ACL and custom SQL routes. It also serves a read-only MCP endpoint so AI clients can query the same data. It can serve several databases from a registry or an allow-list.
Who it is for: Developers who want an instant REST or MCP API over an existing SQL database
Strengths
- Generates CRUD REST routes straight from an existing Postgres or MySQL schema
- Custom SQL query scripts support bound parameters via sqlVal, sqlList and ident helpers
- Serves multiple databases via a [[databases]] registry or pg.allowed_databases
- Built-in read-only MCP endpoint, plus auth and ACL configuration
Weaknesses
- Only PostgreSQL and MySQL; MariaDB, TiDB and Aurora MySQL are roadmap items
- Interpolated query-script values are screened and rejected if they contain quotes or SQL keywords
- MySQL support is newer (v2.5.0) and with prepare = false interpolates placeholders
- MCP endpoint is read-only, so AI clients cannot write through it
- no GPU
- Docker + Compose
- Needs PostgreSQL 9.5+ or MySQL 8.0.19+
More in Backends and databases
Building with these?
We help teams pick an open-source AI stack and run it in production. Client work never changes a rank.