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Vercel (Neon) vs Supabase, Free-Tier Database Comparison

· 3 min read
Serhii Hrekov
Serhii Hrekov
software engineer, creator, artist, programmer, projects founder

If you're building on Hrekov.com or your next side project, picking a good free-tier database can make or break your MVP. Here's a detailed look at what Vercel (via Neon) and Supabase offer with no cost, along with the trade-offs.

1. 🧠 Overview of Free-Tier Offerings​

✅ Vercel (Neon) Free Postgres​

Vercel no longer includes Postgres in its Hobby/Pro tier directly. Instead, it uses the Neon Free Plan:

  • Compute: up to 2 vCPU (Neon Free) — better than old 0.25 CPUs
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  • Storage: 256 MB initial, expandable up to 512 MB
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  • Compute hours: ~192 hours/month (enough for typical use)
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  • Extras: CLI support, time travel, branching, role management
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❗ If limits are exceeded, there's no auto-scaling on free — you'd need to upgrade.

✅ Supabase Free Plan​

Supabase provides a richer starter plan:

  • Database size: 500 MB per active project
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  • RAM/CPU: Shared CPU, 500 MB RAM
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  • API: Unlimited requests
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  • Storage: 1 GB file storage, 5 GB bandwidth
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  • Realtime & Edge: 200 connections, 2M messages, 500K Edge Function invocations
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  • File size limit: 50 MB per file upload
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If the database exceeds 500 MB, it enters read-only mode until you upgrade or delete history

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Bandwidth and storage quotas hold firm — Supabase doesn’t auto‑upgrade you or charge unexpectedly
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2. ⚠️ What Happens When You Hit Limits​

  • Neon (Vercel): Once you hit 512 MB or exceed free compute, you'd need to upgrade — no automatic scaling.

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  • Supabase: Goes read-only when DB exceeds 500 MB; bandwidth/storage caps are enforced. No sudden charges or upgrades

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“You will stay in the free tier and there won’t be any unexpected fees” — Supabase ensures this

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3. 🔍 Feature & Use-Case Breakdown​

FeatureVercel (Neon Free)Supabase Free
Postgres DB size256 MB → 512 MB max500 MB
CPU / RAM2 vCPUShared CPU, 500 MB RAM
API requestsStandard DB accessUnlimited API
File storageBlob via Vercel (free allotment)1 GB (50 MB file limit)
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BandwidthVercel Blob limits with cache5 GB included
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Realtime / EdgeNot included (use separate Neon)200 connections, 2M messages, 500K invocations
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Advanced featuresTime Travel, branching, roles
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Auth, row-level policies, triggers, functions
Upgrade riskManual upgrade neededNo surprise charges — manual upgrade or history cleanup
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4. 🏆 Which One Should You Choose?​

  • Choose Vercel (Neon) if you want deep Postgres features: advanced compute, branching, time-travel, role control — ideal for projects needing database sophistication.

  • Choose Supabase if you need a full-stack backend with unlimited API, built-in auth, realtime, file storage, and generous quotas for side projects.

5. 👀 Final Verdict​

  • For simple full-stack MVPs, Supabase's free tier beats competitors with everything included: API, auth, real-time, and decent limits.
  • For Postgres-first applications where features like time-travel, branching, CLI access matter, Neon’s free plan (via Vercel) offers unrivaled depth.

If you would ask me face to face - my answer would be - chose damn supabase and dont think about it anymore, better spend time on drink another cup of coffee that thinking about what to chose between them