Published on: September 28, 2025 Author: Cyril Dave Legaspi Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service that allows developers to build apps quickly without worrying about servers. It provides a database, authentication, storage, and real-time functionality, all out-of-the-box. In this blog, we’ll cover the basics of Supabase and how to get started with your first app. What is Supabase? Supabase is built on PostgreSQL, giving you the power of a relational database along with an easy-to-use API and client libraries. It’s often called the “open-source Firebase,” offering similar features with more flexibility and SQL support. Why Use Supabase? Database-First Approach: Built on PostgreSQL for reliability and advanced features. Authentication: Built-in user authentication with email, password, and OAuth providers. Storage: Easily store and serve files like images, videos, and documents. Real-Time: Subscribe to database changes and update your UI instantly. Open-Source: Free to self-host and extend as needed. Getting Started with Supabase 1. Create a Supabase Project Go to Supabase.io and create a new project. You’ll get a project URL and an anon API key for your app. 2. Install the Supabase Client For a JavaScript or React app, install the Supabase client: npm install @supabase/supabase-js 3. Initialize Supabase import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js' const supabaseUrl = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_URL' const supabaseAnonKey = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY' const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseAnonKey) 4. Fetch Data from Your Database const { data, error } = await supabase .from('todos') .select('*') console.log(data) Authentication Example Supabase makes it easy to sign up and log in users: const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({ email: 'user@example.com', password: 'securepassword' }) You can also log in with: const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithPassword({ email: 'user@example.com', password: 'securepassword' }) Real-Time Updates Supabase allows you to subscribe to database changes. For example, to listen for new messages: supabase .from('messages') .on('INSERT', payload => { console.log('New message:', payload) }) .subscribe() Conclusion Supabase is perfect for developers who want a full-featured backend without building everything from scratch. With databases, authentication, storage, and real-time updates all in one platform, you can focus on building your app instead of managing servers.