When choosing a PostgreSQL database platform, whether for a side project or a production app, you need to look beyond features and assess the real cost of running your database. This includes compute, storage, backups, and bandwidth.
In this guide, we compare Supabase vs AWS (RDS and Aurora) across free, entry-level, and production tiers. We focus strictly on database-related costs and explain on-demand vs reserved pricing where applicable.
0. Free Plans: What Do You Get for $0?
Both platforms offer free options, but they differ in duration, compute power, and included storage.
| Feature | Supabase Free Tier | AWS Free Tier (12 months) |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Forever | 12 months from signup |
| Compute | Shared CPU (500MB RAM) | 750 hrs/month on t4g.micro |
| Storage (DB) | 500MB | 20GB gp2 |
| Backup | 7-day snapshot | 20GB snapshot |
| Bandwidth | 5GB | 15GB outbound |
- Supabase Free is a generous forever-free plan suited for hobby apps, portfolios, and dev testing.
- AWS Free Tier is more powerful but limited to 12 months, ideal if you're testing AWS or already in that ecosystem.
1. Entry-Level (Always Free or Low Cost)
Once you outgrow the free plan but don't need heavy production power, both platforms offer entry-level options. AWS RDS adds an interesting twist: you can reserve instances to get a big discount for long-term use.
| Feature | Supabase Pro Tier | AWS RDS t4g.micro (On-Demand) | AWS RDS t4g.micro (1yr Reserved) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $25 (includes $10 compute) | $11.68 | $6.69 |
| Compute | 1GB RAM | 1 vCPU / 1GB RAM | 1 vCPU / 1GB RAM |
| DB Storage Included | 8GB | 20GB | 20GB |
| Extra Storage | $0.125/GB | $0.115/GB | $0.115/GB |
| Backups | 7 days included | Free up to DB size, then $0.095/GB | Free up to DB size, then $0.095/GB |
| Bandwidth | 250GB included | $0.09/GB outbound | $0.09/GB outbound |
- Supabase is simpler and predictable, good for developers who don’t want to fiddle with AWS details.
- RDS Reserved makes AWS cheaper long-term but requires upfront planning and commitment.
2. Mid-Tier Production: 100GB Storage + Moderate Usage
For applications in active use, say 100GB storage and regular traffic, you start to see meaningful differences in how pricing stacks up.
| Feature | Supabase (Large) | RDS m5.large (On-Demand) | RDS m5.large (1yr Reserved) | Aurora r5.large |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compute | $110 | $130 | $81 | $211 |
| 100GB Storage | $12.50 | $11.50 | $11.50 | $10 |
| Backups | Included | Free (up to DB size) | Free (up to DB size) | $0.021/GB |
| Bandwidth (500GB) | $22.50 | $45 | $45 | $45 |
| Total/Month | $145 | $186 | $138 | $266 |
- Supabase bundles more services into a flat monthly fee, good for predictable budgeting.
- RDS reserved instances save ~25-30%, making it a great option for apps with stable, long-term workloads.
- Aurora is for apps needing extremely high performance, though at a cost.
3. Scaling Up: 500GB+ Storage, Heavy Compute
Now let’s model serious workloads: a database with large storage, high uptime, and frequent read/write operations.
| Feature | Supabase 2XL | RDS r5.xlarge (On-Demand) | RDS r5.xlarge (1yr Reserved) | Aurora I/O-Optimized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compute | $410 | $422 | $246 | $422 |
| 500GB Storage | $62.50 | $57.50 | $57.50 | $50 |
| IOPS / Throughput | Included | $100+ (io1 est.) | $100+ | Included |
| Backup (500GB extra) | Included | $47.50 | $47.50 | $10.50 |
| Bandwidth (1TB) | $67.50 | $90 | $90 | $90 |
| Total/Month | $540 | $717 | $541 | $572 |
- At scale, RDS Reserved and Supabase 2XL are neck-and-neck on cost.
- Supabase remains simpler; RDS offers more control over tuning IOPS, backups, and encryption.
- Aurora shines for mission-critical apps needing fast failover, multi-region, or high concurrency.
Cost Reference for Storage & Compute
| Metric | Supabase | AWS RDS (On-Demand) | AWS RDS (Reserved) | Aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storage | $0.125/GB | $0.115/GB | $0.115/GB | $0.10–$0.225/GB |
| Backup | Included | $0.095/GB | $0.095/GB | $0.021/GB (snapshot) |
| Bandwidth | 250GB incl. | $0.09/GB outbound | $0.09/GB outbound | $0.09/GB outbound |
| Compute Range | $10–$3,730 | $11–$1,688 | $6–$1,080 | $67–$3,376 |
- Reserved pricing can reduce compute cost by 30–60%, especially for year-long or 3-year commitments.
- Aurora charges by I/O operations, unless you're on their newer I/O-optimized pricing model.
Final Recommendations
| Use Case | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free hobby project | Supabase Free | No time limit, zero config |
| Low-cost dev/test DB | Supabase Pro | Simple, includes bandwidth |
| AWS trial or AWS-focused team | AWS Free Tier | Best compute/storage combo for 1 year |
| Cost-sensitive production workload | RDS Reserved | Big savings if long-term stable usage |
| Simple mid-sized app | Supabase or RDS | Depends on whether you want simplicity or control |
| High write/read throughput | Aurora | Built for performance at scale |
| Multi-region / enterprise scale | Aurora or RDS | Multi-AZ, replication, fine-grained tuning |
| No-ops, no-config DB experience | Supabase | Just works, no DBA needed |
Conclusion
- Supabase offers simple pricing and easy setup, ideal for fast-moving projects.
- AWS RDS Reserved is best for long-term, cost-optimized workloads with more control.
- Aurora suits high-performance, high-availability needs, but at a higher cost.
Choose based on your need for simplicity vs control, and how stable your usage will be. Supabase works well for early-stage apps; AWS shines for scaled, mature systems.
Need more than a database? Our next post will compare Supabase vs AWS pricing across auth, messaging, and more.
