Supabase is an excellent open-source developer backend. Xano is one platform to build, run and govern AI-built software, for teams. Here is how to choose.
Last updated
Talk to an engineerSupabase gives developers hosted Postgres, auth, storage and edge functions, and leaves the build pipeline and review to your team. Xano runs the whole backend on Postgres too, but adds one set of workspace rules for every person and AI agent, a shared view of what got built, and managed, BYOC or self-hosted operations.
| Supabase | Xano | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An open-source developer backend: Postgres, auth, storage, edge functions. | One platform to build, run and govern AI-built software: build, test, deploy, observe, and govern applications across the lifecycle. |
| Database | Hosted Postgres; schema and policies developer-managed. | Postgres, with visible schema, versioned changes, and managed operations. Always exportable. |
| Who builds | Developers writing code. | Developers and their coding agents. The agent writes the backend in TypeScript with the Xano SDK, you run it on the Xano Engine on your machine, then deploy it to Xano. The whole team reviews what got built in the Xano editor. |
| Governance | Row-level security and project settings; review lives in your own pipeline. | Workspace rules: policy, tests, dependencies, auth, and residency enforced during the build; immutable releases promoted through review gates. |
| Operations | Managed hosting and logs; your team owns its pipeline. | Managed, BYOC, or self-hosted, with tracing, request history, audit trails, and accountable operations. |
| Best fit | A developer team that wants a great Postgres-centric backend and owns its own pipeline. | A team that needs AI-built applications to be understood, governed, and run - including people who aren't backend engineers. |
Supabase publishes its own plans on its pricing page. When you compare, count what each price covers: on Supabase your team also owns its build pipeline and review, while paid Xano plans include dedicated infrastructure, branching and merging, workflow tests and version rollback.
Xano charges a fixed monthly price per plan: a Free plan for developing and testing, Essential at $99 a month for production apps on dedicated infrastructure, Pro at $249 a month for teams ready to scale, and a Custom plan for enterprise security and self-hosting.
Supabase and Xano both run on Postgres, so your tables move to the same kind of database. Application data can be imported with built-in import tools, such as CSV or API-based imports.
Xano is designed for incremental modernization, not wholesale migration. Put Xano behind your existing APIs, let it take over one workflow, region or integration, and expand once it is running.
Your coding agent writes the business logic in TypeScript with the Xano SDK. You run it on the Xano Engine on your machine, then deploy it to Xano with one command, and the team reviews it in the Xano editor.
Export your database from your Xano workspace as CSV or YAML at any time. Depending on your plan, direct database connections give standard database tools access to your data.
Xano is a good Supabase alternative when your team wants the backend logic, APIs, review and operations in one platform, with one set of rules for every person and AI agent. If your developers want an open-source Postgres backend and already own their pipeline, Supabase is a strong choice.
Yes. Both run on Postgres. Supabase gives developers hosted Postgres with schema and policies they manage themselves. Xano runs managed PostgreSQL under every API, task and agent, with visible schema and versioned changes, so the whole team can see how the data is shaped.
Yes. Import your application data with Xano’s built-in tools, such as CSV or API-based imports, and follow the guide to migrating from another BaaS provider. Most teams move one workflow at a time, with Xano behind their existing APIs.
Xano uses fixed monthly plans: Free, Essential at $99 a month, Pro at $249 a month, and Custom. Supabase publishes its own plans. Compare what each covers: paid Xano plans include dedicated infrastructure, branching and workflow tests. See every plan on the Xano pricing page.
Yes. Your coding agent writes the backend in TypeScript with the Xano SDK, you run it on the Xano Engine on your machine, then deploy it to Xano. The SDK’s agent skill teaches Claude Code, Codex and Cursor to write valid Xano code that always compiles.
Bring the job. We'll show you which line it belongs on.
Compare Xano, Supabase and Firebase