Supabase

Supabase is my default backend for new projects. Getting a full Postgres database with auth, storage, and realtime in under 5 minutes is incredible. The fact that it's open-source gives me confidence.

The developer experience is solid. The client libraries are well-documented, and the SQL editor in the dashboard is genuinely useful. I especially appreciate being able to write raw SQL — something you can't do with Firebase.

My one complaint is the realtime feature. It works for simple cases but can be flaky with complex queries. For production realtime needs, I'd use a dedicated service instead.

**Supabase vs Neon — Billing Philosophy**: Unlike Neon's serverless per-activity billing (5-minute minimum cycles), Supabase gives you a persistent Docker instance on the free tier. It runs 24/7 with no cold starts and no per-activity metering. The only caveat: if your project has zero traffic for 7 consecutive days, it pauses and needs a manual wake-up (or API call). For low-traffic indie apps, this is far more predictable than Neon's model — no "phantom bills" from health checks or connection probes triggering unexpected compute charges.