supabase vs spacetimedb
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
spacetimedb
Relational database that runs your app logic as modules and syncs clients live
Verdict
supabase ranks higher, 73 to 66. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, supabase leads on 2, spacetimedb on 2 and 1 is even.
- Adoptionsupabase leads by 40 points, 97 to 57: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancespacetimedb leads by 11 points, 83 to 72.
- Easy to runspacetimedb leads by 17 points, 50 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 spacetimedb if you are
Developers building realtime web apps or multiplayer games, no separate server
- Replaces the API server and pub/sub layer: clients subscribe to tables and get pushed updates
- Module languages: Rust, C#, TypeScript, C++; client SDKs include React hooks, Unity and Unreal
| What we compare | supabase | spacetimedb |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 97, widely used | 57, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 72, fair | 83, healthy |
| Easy to run | 33, some setup | 50, easy |
| Agent-ready | 85, ready | 0, none |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 111.6k | 25.3k |
| License | Apache-2.0 (permissive) | custom license (read the license) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Aug 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| 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
spacetimedb
SpacetimeDB is a relational database that doubles as the application server. You write tables and reducers as a module in Rust, C#, TypeScript or C++, upload it, and clients connect directly, subscribe to tables and receive committed changes automatically. State is held in memory with an on-disk commit log for durability, and reducers run as ACID transactions.
Who it is for: Developers building realtime web apps or multiplayer games, no separate server
Strengths
- Replaces the API server and pub/sub layer: clients subscribe to tables and get pushed updates
- Module languages: Rust, C#, TypeScript, C++; client SDKs include React hooks, Unity and Unreal
- Reducers are ACID transactions; confirmed reads wait for commit log durability by default
- Used for the full backend of the MMORPG BitCraft Online
Weaknesses
- BSL 1.1 license, converting to AGPL v3.0 with linking exception after a few years
- Aimed at low-latency transactional workloads, not batch or analytical queries
- Application logic lives inside the database, tying the app to its module model
- RAM requirements are unknown, though all application state is held in memory
- no GPU
- Docker + Compose
- port 3000
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