Software · head to head
Redis vs Supabase
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Redis licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage; Supabase free tier projects auto-pause after 1 week of inactivity
- They diverge on capability: Redis covers In-memory data store, Supabase covers PostgreSQL database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Redis and Supabase actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Redis
- In-memory data store
- Data structures
- Pub/Sub messaging
- Lua scripting
- Transactions
- Persistence options
- Replication
- Clustering
Only in Supabase
- PostgreSQL database
- Auto-generated APIs
- Authentication & authorization
- Real-time subscriptions
- Storage
- Edge functions
- Vector embeddings
- Database migrations
Both cover
- Python
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Redis
- Cachingnot Supabase
- Session managementnot Supabase
- Real-time analyticsnot Supabase
- Message queuingnot Supabase
- Leaderboardsnot Supabase
Supabase
- Web application backends using Postgres plus auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIsnot Redis
- Mobile app backends via Flutter/Swift/Kotlin client librariesnot Redis
- AI applications using vector/embeddings storagenot Redis
- Authentication with 20+ social providers plus email/passwordnot Redis
- File and media storage (S3-compatible with CDN) and realtime sync over WebSocketsnot Redis
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Redis
- Licensing changed from BSD to AGPL in 2025, impacting open-source usage
- All data must fit in memory, limiting scalability to available RAM
- No built-in support for multi-tenancy
- Limited transaction support compared to traditional databases
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
Redis
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Redis review.
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 Redis if
- You need in-memory data store.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want data structures.
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 Redis or Supabase better?
- Neither clearly leads. Redis 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, Redis or Supabase?
- Redis starts at Free and Supabase at Free.
- Does Redis or Supabase run on more platforms?
- Redis runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Supabase runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Redis for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Redis best used for?
- Redis is most often used for caching, session management, real-time analytics, message queuing. Of those, caching and session management are not what Supabase is typically brought in for.
- What can Redis do that Supabase cannot?
- Redis covers In-memory data store, Data structures, Pub/Sub messaging, Lua scripting. Supabase covers PostgreSQL database, Auto-generated APIs, Authentication & authorization, Real-time subscriptions. Both handle Python.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Redis: Is Redis open source?
Redis was open source under the BSD license since its inception in 2009 and has remained open source. However, in 2024-2025, Redis Labs changed licensing to source-available and AGPL, prompting the creation of Valkey, a BSD-licensed open-source fork.
SourceRedis: What is Redis used for?
Redis is an in-memory data structure store used primarily as a cache, database, and message broker. It provides high-speed data access for real-time applications, sessions, leaderboards, real-time analytics, and other use cases requiring fast data retrieval.
Source