Updated for 2026
Supabasevs
TiDB
Not sure which fits your workflow in 2026? Compare pricing, features, and trade-offs — then switch tools below to explore more options in this category.
dev-database
Supabase
Supabase is an open-source BaaS platform launched in 2020 by Supabase Inc. It entered GA in 2024 and has become a top backend choice for the AI era and Vibe Coding. A Postgres-first platform with auth, storage, realtime, and vector capabilities—often seen as an open-source Firebase alternative.
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TiDB
TiDB is a distributed, MySQL-compatible SQL database from PingCAP — built for scale-out OLTP/HTAP and cloud deployments.
Visit TiDBBasics
| Feature | Supabase | TiDB |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2017 |
| Company | Supabase | PingCAP |
| Country | United States | United States / China |
| Region / Availability | Multi-region (global) | Self-host / multi-cloud |
Pricing comparison
| Plan | Supabase | TiDB |
|---|---|---|
| Model | freemium | freemium |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Starts at | $25/mo | $0/mo |
| Plan 1 | Free: Free500 MB database size，1 GB file storage，Unlimited API requests，50,000 monthly active users | Open Source / Self-host: Free |
| Plan 2 | Pro: $25/moFor production applications with the power to scale. 100 GB file storage，100,000 monthly active users，8 GB disk size per project | TiDB Cloud: Usage-based |
| Plan 3 | Team: $599/moDesigned for team collaboration, it adds features such as single sign-on, backup control, and industry authentication. | — |
Feature checklist
| Feature | Supabase | TiDB |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | ✓https://github.com/supabase/supabase | ✓https://github.com/pingcap/tidb |
| Self-host Option | ✓ | ✓ |
| ACID | Full ACID via underlying Postgres | Distributed ACID transactions |
| Index Support | Postgres indexes + pgvector / full-text options | Secondary indexes; TiFlash columnar for analytics |
| Concurrency | Strong MVCC concurrency from Postgres | High concurrency for distributed OLTP |
| Scalability | Managed scale + read replicas; branching for previews | Horizontal scale-out for HTAP workloads |
| SQL Support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Postgres Compatible | ✓ | ✗ |
| Serverless Database | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vector Search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Realtime | ✓ | ✗ |
| Built-in Auth | ✓ | ✗ |
| Blob / File Storage | ✓ | ✗ |
| Edge Compatible | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI SQL / NL Query | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI Schema Assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI Agent / MCP | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Use Case | Postgres-backed BaaS with auth, storage, realtime, and vectors | Distributed MySQL-compatible SQL for HTAP and cloud-scale OLTP |
Pros & cons
Supabase
- Full Postgres with rich SQL ecosystem
- Auth, storage, realtime in one platform
- Self-host or managed cloud
- Operational complexity grows with scale
- Edge latency depends on region choice
- Not the lightest option for tiny apps
TiDB
- MySQL compatibility with horizontal scale
- Strong for large distributed SQL workloads
- Open-source plus managed TiDB Cloud
- Heavier than single-node MySQL/Postgres
- Ops learning curve for distributed SQL
- Not the simplest hobby database
Dimension scores
Editorial 0–10 scores across shared dimensions — higher is better for that axis.
| Dimension | Supabase | TiDB |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Privacy | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Value | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Depth | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Ecosystem | 9.0 | 7.5 |
| DX | 9.0 | 7.5 |
- Supabase
- TiDB
FAQ
Is Supabase better than TiDB?
It depends on workflow. Supabase emphasizes open-source firebase alternative built on postgres with auth, storage, and realtime. TiDB emphasizes mysql-compatible distributed sql database for htap and cloud-scale workloads. Use the feature checklist above for your stack.
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Related alternatives
Disclaimer:Not Financial or Investment Advice, Educational/Dev Tool Comparison Only. Information may change; always verify pricing on the vendor site before purchasing.