Neon
A lower-cost alternative to Supabase for clients who need a complete backend, Postgres, authentication, storage, compute, and an AI gateway, without Supabase's pricing.
We use Neon as a lower-cost alternative to Supabase for clients working with a tighter budget who still need a real backend, not just a database.
Why we use Neon
Supabase is our default. Neon is the alternative we reach for when a client needs the same kind of backend, real authentication and a database, but Supabase’s pricing does not fit the budget. The two overlap enough that the choice mostly comes down to cost rather than capability.
What it provides
Like Supabase, Neon is not just a database. It is a full backend platform: Postgres, authentication, storage, compute, and an AI gateway, under one project.
- Postgres. A serverless Postgres database, which Neon calls Lakebase Postgres, that scales and branches with the application.
- Authentication. Fully-managed user authentication included with every database, built on Better Auth.
- Storage. S3-compatible object storage that branches alongside the project.
- Compute. Functions that run close to the database without the timeouts a typical serverless function has.
- AI Gateway. One API across frontier and open-source models.
Where it fits
For custom software where budget is the deciding factor rather than a specific feature, Neon covers the same ground as Supabase: real user accounts and a real database. Supabase stays our default recommendation, and we will tell you plainly when a project’s requirements point toward one over the other.
What happens next
If Supabase's pricing does not fit your budget but the project still needs real authentication and a database, we can tell you honestly whether Neon covers what it needs.
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No pressure. Clear recommendations. 31 years of seeing what works.