Matt Turley, Continuum. Updated 2026-11-05.
We sell Continuum Supabase Security Review, so we say where the other options fit better. Links to other companies go to their own sites and carry no affiliate codes.
No single backend is best for everyone. Appwrite suits teams wanting an open-source backend with a hosted option. Convex suits developers who want a reactive backend where queries update live. Firebase suits teams already building on Google Cloud who accept usage-based billing. Neon suits developers who want plain Postgres with scale-to-zero and branching-style workflows and usage-based billing. One more is covered below. The list is alphabetical and is not a ranking.
This covers the databases, backend platforms and sign-in services that AI app builders wire up. We only feature a tool when a page owned by the vendor backs our description of it.
We do not rank them. Each entry says what the sources report, where it falls short, and who it suits, so you can match one to your own situation. Where a competitor of ours is the better fit, we say so.
We read each source on 2026-11-05. Prices and limits change often, so confirm on the vendor's own page before you buy. A figure marked "one source only" was not matched by a second publisher.
| Tool | What it is | Confirmed price | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appwrite | Open-source backend platform | Free $0 [1]; Pro $25 per month [2] | Teams wanting an open-source backend with a hosted option |
| Convex | Reactive backend and database | Starter Pay for usage [3]; Professional $25 per developer per month [3] | Developers who want a reactive backend where queries update live |
| Firebase | Google backend platform with NoSQL databases | Spark $0 [4]; Blaze Pay as you go [4] | Teams already building on Google Cloud who accept usage-based billing |
| Neon | Serverless Postgres | Free $0 [5]; Launch $0.106 per CU-hour [5] | Developers who want plain Postgres with scale-to-zero and branching-style workflows and usage-based billing |
| Supabase | Postgres backend platform with auth, storage and auto-generated API | Pro $25 per month [6] | Teams that want a Postgres database queried directly from client code and are willing to write and review RLS policies |
| Continuum Supabase Security Review (ours) | Human Supabase security review | Supabase Security Review Quoted on the page [7] | A team running on Supabase that wants a person to read its policies and keys before launch |
Appwrite offers a hosted backend with databases, auth, storage and functions on Free and Pro plans.[2]
What the sources say:
Limits and things to check:
Pricing as reported for Appwrite:
Plan limits are longer than fit here and some sources disagree on them, so read the limits on the vendor pricing page.
Suits teams wanting an open-source backend with a hosted option. That is our reading of the facts above, not something a source says.
Convex is a backend platform with a built-in database and server functions, priced per developer with usage allowances.[3]
Limits and things to check:
Pricing as reported for Convex:
Plan limits are longer than fit here and some sources disagree on them, so read the limits on the vendor pricing page.
Suits developers who want a reactive backend where queries update live. That is our reading of the facts above, not something a source says.
Firebase is Google's app backend platform with a no-cost Spark plan and a pay-as-you-go Blaze plan.[4]
What the sources say:
Limits and things to check:
Pricing as reported for Firebase:
Suits teams already building on Google Cloud who accept usage-based billing. That is our reading of the facts above, not something a source says.
Neon provides serverless Postgres with usage-based pricing across Free, Launch and Scale plans.[5]
Limits and things to check:
Pricing as reported for Neon:
Plan limits are longer than fit here and some sources disagree on them, so read the limits on the vendor pricing page.
Suits developers who want plain Postgres with scale-to-zero and branching-style workflows and usage-based billing. That is our reading of the facts above, not something a source says.
Supabase hosts Postgres databases and exposes them through a Data API, with Row Level Security policies controlling which rows each role can read or write.[11]
What the sources say:
Limits and things to check:
Pricing as reported for Supabase:
Plan limits are longer than fit here and some sources disagree on them, so read the limits on the vendor pricing page.
Suits teams that want a Postgres database queried directly from client code and are willing to write and review RLS policies. That is our reading of the facts above, not something a source says.
Start from your situation, not from the list:
Open the vendor pricing page for your shortlist before you decide, since plans change.
We make Continuum Supabase Security Review. Weigh what we say here with that in mind. The tools above are the better choice when you want software you run yourself; ours is the better choice when you want a person to do or read the work.
A human review of a Supabase app covering row level security policies, key exposure, storage rules, auth config and service-role usage.[7]
What our own page says:
Limits and things to check:
Pricing as reported for Continuum Supabase Security Review:
Suits a team running on Supabase that wants a person to read its policies and keys before launch.