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Databases · head to head

Instaclustr vs Supabase

Instaclustr logo

Instaclustr

Databases

NetApp-owned managed service for Cassandra, Kafka, OpenSearch, PostgreSQL and Cadence with a bring-your-own-cloud model

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Supabase logo

Supabase

Technology

The open source Firebase alternative

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Supabase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Instaclustr pricing is only obtainable through a configurator or sales conversation, so comparing against AWS MSK or Confluent list prices requires several rounds of quotes rather than a spreadsheet.; Supabase free tier projects auto-pause after 1 week of inactivity
  • They diverge on capability: Instaclustr covers Unmodified open source, Supabase covers PostgreSQL database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Instaclustr and Supabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Instaclustr and Supabase differ
AttributeInstaclustrSupabase
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryDatabasesTechnology
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Instaclustr

  • Unmodified open source
  • Bring your own cloud
  • Multi technology platform
  • 24/7 operations
  • Managed backups
  • Terraform provider
  • SOC 2 and compliance
  • Consulting and support

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.

Instaclustr

  • An enterprise running Cassandra and Kafka that cannot hire and retain specialists for bothnot Supabase
  • A company with cloud committed spend that wants managed data infrastructure to draw down that commitment through the bring-your-own-cloud modelnot Supabase
  • A team that left Elastic over the licence change and wants OpenSearch operated by someone else without another proprietary forknot Supabase
  • An organisation migrating off Amazon MSK or Keyspaces that wants the same open source software with vendor operations but portability intactnot Supabase

Supabase

  • Web application backends using Postgres plus auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIsnot Instaclustr
  • Mobile app backends via Flutter/Swift/Kotlin client librariesnot Instaclustr
  • AI applications using vector/embeddings storagenot Instaclustr
  • Authentication with 20+ social providers plus email/passwordnot Instaclustr
  • File and media storage (S3-compatible with CDN) and realtime sync over WebSocketsnot Instaclustr

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Instaclustr

  • Pricing is only obtainable through a configurator or sales conversation, so comparing against AWS MSK or Confluent list prices requires several rounds of quotes rather than a spreadsheet.
  • It manages infrastructure, not data modelling, so a poor Cassandra partition key or a mis-sized Kafka topic still causes outages that the managed service will not prevent.
  • NetApp ownership since 2022 has put the roadmap inside a large storage vendor, and the product is now one line in a portfolio rather than the whole company.
  • The catalogue is broad but each technology is served at a general level, so teams needing deep, vendor-specific tuning often find a specialist provider goes further on their one technology.
  • Bring your own cloud reduces lock-in but shifts networking, IAM and VPC peering complexity onto the customer, which needs cloud engineering capacity the managed service was meant to save.

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

Instaclustr

On request
  • Instaclustr Managed Platform$undefined/month
    • Priced per node size, technology, cloud provider and region
    • Interactive calculator requires configuration before a figure appears
    • Discounts on 12 month commitment

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 Instaclustr if

  • You need unmodified open source.
  • You work on Cloud, Linux.
  • You also want bring your own cloud.
Instaclustr review

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.
Supabase review

Questions people ask

Is Instaclustr or Supabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Instaclustr starts at On request and Supabase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Instaclustr or Supabase?
Supabase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Instaclustr and Free for Supabase.
Does Instaclustr or Supabase run on more platforms?
Instaclustr runs on Cloud, Linux. Supabase runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Supabase for free?
Yes. Supabase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Instaclustr starts at On request.
What is Instaclustr best used for?
Instaclustr is most often used for an enterprise running cassandra and kafka that cannot hire and retain specialists for both, a company with cloud committed spend that wants managed data infrastructure to draw down that commitment through the bring-your-own-cloud model, a team that left elastic over the licence change and wants opensearch operated by someone else without another proprietary fork, an organisation migrating off amazon msk or keyspaces that wants the same open source software with vendor operations but portability intact. Of those, an enterprise running cassandra and kafka that cannot hire and retain specialists for both and a company with cloud committed spend that wants managed data infrastructure to draw down that commitment through the bring-your-own-cloud model are not what Supabase is typically brought in for.
What can Instaclustr do that Supabase cannot?
Instaclustr covers Unmodified open source, Bring your own cloud, Multi technology platform, 24/7 operations. Supabase covers PostgreSQL database, Auto-generated APIs, Authentication & authorization, Real-time subscriptions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Instaclustr: Does Instaclustr modify the open source software?

No. Its stated commitment is one hundred per cent open source with no proprietary extensions, which is the main reason licence-averse buyers choose it.

Supabase: How much does Supabase cost?

Supabase offers a free tier and three paid plans. Pro starts at $25 per month, Team at $599 per month, and Enterprise requires a custom quote. All pricing is in USD charged monthly.

Source
Instaclustr: Who owns Instaclustr?

NetApp, which acquired the company in 2022. It is now branded NetApp Instaclustr.

Supabase: What are Supabase's usage overage fees?

Pro plan users pay $0.00325 per monthly active user over the 100,000 included, and $0.125 per GB for database storage exceeding 8 GB per project. Compute instances cost $10 to $3,730+ per month.

Source
Instaclustr: Is pricing published?

No. There is an interactive calculator, but figures depend on technology, node size, cloud and region, and commitments are negotiated.

Instaclustr: Can clusters run in my own cloud account?

Yes, through the bring-your-own-cloud model, so the infrastructure spend also counts toward your cloud commitment.

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