CockroachDB vs Supabase

Side-by-side comparison of CockroachDB and Supabase.

By Bilal Almukhtar Edited by Sofia DraganovLast updated April 20, 2026

Quick summary

CockroachDB — Distributed SQL built for scale. CockroachDB Cloud is a distributed SQL database with Postgres wire compatibility and global horizontal scale.

Supabase — The open source Firebase alternative. Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service built on PostgreSQL. It provides authentication, realtime subscriptions, storage, edge functions, and a hosted database.

Feature comparison

Feature	CockroachDB	Supabase
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$0.50/hour	$25/mo
Free tier	Yes	Yes
Open source	Yes	Yes
Engine	Distributed SQL (Postgres-compatible)	—
Branching	No	—
Free Tier	5GB + 50M RUs	500MB DB + 1GB storage
Serverless	Yes	—
Scale-to-zero	Yes	—
Point-in-time Recovery	Yes	—
Auth	—	Yes
Storage	—	Yes
Database	—	PostgreSQL
Realtime	—	Yes
Self-hosted	—	Yes
Edge Functions	—	Yes
Row Level Security	—	Yes

CockroachDB

Distributed SQL built for scale

Pros

Horizontal SQL scaling
Strong consistency
Postgres wire-compatible

Cons

Higher latency vs single-region Postgres
Complex pricing

Visit CockroachDB →

Supabase

The open source Firebase alternative

Pros

Open source and self-hostable
Standard PostgreSQL — no vendor lock-in
Generous free tier
Great DX with auto-generated APIs

Cons

Cold starts on free tier
Edge function ecosystem still maturing

Visit Supabase →

Which should you choose?

Choose CockroachDB if you value open source and want the option to self-host, and a free tier is important for your stage. Choose Supabase if you value open source and want the option to self-host, and a free tier is important for your stage.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, CockroachDB or Supabase?

There is no universal “better.” For most teams, Supabase is the safer default because Supabase has a larger community and more third-party integrations, which often translates to better long-term support. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.

Is CockroachDB cheaper than Supabase?

CockroachDB starts at $0.50/hour, while Supabase starts at $25/mo. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.

Can I migrate from CockroachDB to Supabase?

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply CockroachDB-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most database migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.

Is CockroachDB or Supabase open source?

Yes, both CockroachDB and Supabase are open source and can be self-hosted.

Does CockroachDB or Supabase have a free tier?

Both CockroachDB and Supabase offer a free tier.

Which is best for startups and indie hackers?

Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. The one with the most generous free tier here is Supabase. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.

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