Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Orb vs Supabase

Orb logo

Orb

Accounting

Revenue design platform automating usage-based billing and pricing strategy

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: Orb custom pricing model requires sales consultation, no transparent public pricing; Supabase free tier projects auto-pause after 1 week of inactivity
  • They diverge on capability: Orb covers Usage metering, Supabase covers PostgreSQL database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Orb and Supabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Orb and Supabase differ
AttributeOrbSupabase
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelCustom pricing based on billing volume and eventsUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryAccountingTechnology
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 Orb

  • Usage metering
  • Automated billing
  • Pricing modeling
  • Revenue recognition
  • Spend controls
  • Pricing calculator
  • NetSuite integration
  • Data warehouse sync

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.

Orb

  • Implementing usage-based billing for cloud infrastructure providersnot Supabase
  • Modeling and testing multiple pricing strategies before launchnot Supabase
  • Automating revenue recognition for financial reportingnot Supabase
  • Managing complex hybrid pricing (seats plus usage) at scalenot Supabase
  • Providing customers real-time spend controls and usage visibilitynot Supabase

Supabase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Orb

  • Custom pricing model requires sales consultation, no transparent public pricing
  • Pricing based on both events and billing volume adds complexity to cost estimation
  • Enterprise-focused positioning may be overkill for simple subscription use cases
  • Requires integration with existing accounting systems for full value
  • Limited information on free tier or trial availability

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

Orb

On request
  • Core$undefined/custom
    • Real-time event ingestion (up to 250K+ events/second)
    • Real-time alerting
    • Hybrid and usage-based billing
  • Advanced$undefined/custom
    • All Core features
    • Data warehouse sync
    • Salesforce integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Advanced features
    • Enterprise-grade SLAs
    • Dedicated support

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 Orb if

  • You need usage metering.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want automated billing.
Orb 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 Orb or Supabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Orb 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, Orb or Supabase?
Supabase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Orb and Free for Supabase.
Does Orb or Supabase run on more platforms?
Orb runs on Web, API. 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. Orb starts at On request.
What is Orb best used for?
Orb is most often used for implementing usage-based billing for cloud infrastructure providers, modeling and testing multiple pricing strategies before launch, automating revenue recognition for financial reporting, managing complex hybrid pricing (seats plus usage) at scale. Of those, implementing usage-based billing for cloud infrastructure providers and modeling and testing multiple pricing strategies before launch are not what Supabase is typically brought in for.
What can Orb do that Supabase cannot?
Orb covers Usage metering, Automated billing, Pricing modeling, Revenue recognition. Supabase covers PostgreSQL database, Auto-generated APIs, Authentication & authorization, Real-time subscriptions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Orb: How does Orb pricing work?

Orb uses custom pricing based on your billing volume (total value of invoices) and events (raw data records ingested). Specific costs must be discussed with their sales team.

Source
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
Orb: What is the difference between Core, Advanced, and Enterprise plans?

Core includes event ingestion and basic billing automation. Advanced adds data warehouse sync and Salesforce/NetSuite integrations. Enterprise adds SLAs, dedicated support, and mission-critical guarantees.

Source
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
Orb: Can Orb handle hybrid pricing models?

Yes. Orb supports hybrid pricing combining seat-based, usage-based, and flat-rate components, making it suitable for complex monetization strategies.

Source
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