Software · head to head
Amazon Aurora vs Supabase
Amazon Aurora
Software
MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services; Supabase free tier projects auto-pause after 1 week of inactivity
- They diverge on capability: Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, Supabase covers PostgreSQL database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon Aurora and Supabase actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon Aurora | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | Unknown |
| Platforms | AWS Cloud | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2006 | 2020 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Amazon Aurora
- MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible
- 5x MySQL Performance
- Auto-scaling Storage
- Global Database
- Serverless v2
- Multi-master
- Fault Tolerant
- AWS Lambda
Only in Supabase
- PostgreSQL database
- Auto-generated APIs
- Authentication & authorization
- Real-time subscriptions
- Storage
- Edge functions
- Vector embeddings
- Database migrations
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon Aurora
- Transaction processingnot Supabase
- Data storagenot Supabase
- Application backendnot Supabase
- Reportingnot Supabase
- Data analyticsnot Supabase
Supabase
- Web application backends using Postgres plus auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIsnot Amazon Aurora
- Mobile app backends via Flutter/Swift/Kotlin client librariesnot Amazon Aurora
- AI applications using vector/embeddings storagenot Amazon Aurora
- Authentication with 20+ social providers plus email/passwordnot Amazon Aurora
- File and media storage (S3-compatible with CDN) and realtime sync over WebSocketsnot Amazon Aurora
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amazon Aurora
- Aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services
- Pricing can become expensive with high-traffic applications using many read replicas
- Limited support for non-relational data types compared to NoSQL alternatives
Supabase
- Free tier projects auto-pause after 1 week of inactivity
- Free tier hard caps: 500 MB database, 1 GB file storage, 5 GB egress/month, 50,000 monthly active users, max 2 active free projects per organization
- Pro plan charges usage overages beyond included quotas, e.g. $0.00325 per MAU above 100,000 and $0.125/GB disk above 8 GB
- SOC2/ISO 27001 certification and HIPAA (add-on) compliance require the $599/month Team plan; not available on the $25/month Pro plan
Pricing, plan by plan
Amazon Aurora
Free- Serverless v2$0.12/hour
- Auto-scaling
- Pay per ACU
- Instant scaling
- Provisioned$29/month
- Dedicated instances
- Predictable performance
- Reserved capacity
Supabase
Free- FreeFree
- 50,000 MAU
- 500MB database
- 5GB egress
- Pro$25/month
- 100,000 MAU
- 8GB disk
- 250GB egress
- Team$599/month
- SOC2 and ISO 27001
- HIPAA add-on
- 28-day log / 14-day backup retention
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Custom limits
- Dedicated support manager
- 24/7/365 support
Which should you pick?
Choose Amazon Aurora if
- You need mysql/postgresql compatible.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on AWS Cloud.
- You also want 5x mysql performance.
Choose Supabase if
- You need postgresql database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want auto-generated apis.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon Aurora or Supabase better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Supabase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon Aurora or Supabase?
- Amazon Aurora starts at Free and Supabase at Free.
- Does Amazon Aurora or Supabase run on more platforms?
- Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud. Supabase runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Amazon Aurora for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Amazon Aurora best used for?
- Amazon Aurora is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Supabase is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon Aurora do that Supabase cannot?
- Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. Supabase covers PostgreSQL database, Auto-generated APIs, Authentication & authorization, Real-time subscriptions.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amazon Aurora: Is Amazon Aurora compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL?
Yes, Amazon Aurora offers MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility with full compatibility to their open-source counterparts, allowing you to migrate existing databases with standard tools.
SourceAmazon Aurora: What uptime SLA does Amazon Aurora provide?
Aurora is designed for up to 99.99% single-region uptime and 99.999% multi-region uptime with automatic failover.
SourceAmazon Aurora: How much does Amazon Aurora cost?
Aurora uses serverless, usage-based pricing where you pay only for consumed capacity. Typical pricing ranges from $50-70 per month for minimal setups to $400-600 per month for small production clusters.
SourceAmazon Aurora: Can Amazon Aurora scale automatically?
Yes, Aurora automatically scales to match workload demands without performance degradation, supporting both read and write scaling.
SourceAmazon Aurora: How many read replicas does Aurora support?
Aurora supports up to 15 low-latency read replicas for distributing read traffic across your application.
Source