Supabase

Supabase is the open source Firebase alternative that developers actually want to use. It combines a Postgres database, authentication, real-time subscriptions, edge functions, and storage into one platform - all built on open standards. The Postgres database is the foundation. Full SQL access means no limitations - use joins, views, stored procedures, and extensions like PostGIS or pgvector. The web dashboard makes database management visual, while raw SQL remains available for power users. Authentication works out of the box. Email/password, magic links, OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, etc.), and phone auth are built in. Row Level Security policies control data access at the database level, so your security rules can't be bypassed. Real-time subscriptions push database changes to clients instantly. Subscribe to tables, and inserts, updates, and deletes broadcast to connected users. Perfect for chat apps, live dashboards, and collaborative features. Edge Functions run TypeScript at the edge for custom backend logic. Storage handles file uploads with transformations for images. Vector embeddings enable AI features like semantic search. The pricing model is developer-friendly. The free tier includes 500MB database, 1GB storage, and 2GB bandwidth. Pro ($25/month) scales significantly higher. Self-hosting is always an option since everything is open source.