Jobs · 07

Databases and backend

Somewhere for the app to remember

Use this when the product has to store users, rows, or files. Postgres platforms, backend-as-a-service, and serverless data stores that pair with AI-built frontends.

Initial editorial estimate. Not a measured benchmark. Edit scores in data/tools.json.

1. 01

   Supabase

   Best for Postgres plus auth for an indie app

   Postgres, auth, storage, and realtime in one project.

   • + Postgres, which you can leave with
   • + Auth, storage, and APIs are included so you skip three other vendors at the start

   • − Row-level security is easy to get wrong
   • − Project limits and compute pricing: check site

   8.5

   Freemium

2. 02

   Neon

   Best for Serverless Postgres, including a database per preview

   Serverless Postgres that branches like a git repo.

   • + It is Postgres
   • + Branching is useful next to preview deploys

   • − You still need auth, storage, and an API yourself
   • − Compute and storage prices: check site

   8.0

   Freemium

3. 03

   Convex

   Best for A TypeScript backend with realtime built in

   A reactive backend: queries, mutations, and functions in TypeScript.

   • + Types run from the database functions to the client
   • + Realtime is the default, not a feature you add

   • − It is not Postgres, so the exit is a rewrite of the data layer
   • − Pricing: check site

   7.9

   Check site

4. 04

   Firebase

   Best for A document backend with Google's SDKs

   Google's backend platform: Auth, Firestore, storage, and hosting.

   • + Client SDKs cover auth and data without a custom API
   • + A free Spark plan has long been part of the offer

   • − Firestore is not SQL, and exporting your mental model later is the tax
   • − Billing surprises live in the Blaze plan. Current prices: check site

   7.4

   Freemium

5. 05

   Upstash

   Best for Redis and queues next to a serverless app

   Serverless Redis and Kafka with a per-request price.

   • + Fits serverless and edge runtimes
   • + Pay-per-request matches a small app

   • − Not a replacement for Postgres or a document store
   • − Current free-tier limits and prices: check site

   7.4

   Freemium