Clerk vs Supabase

Both are in our Backend, database & auth tier list: Clerk is A-tier and Supabase is S-tier.

No editor verdict yet. This page shows the data side by side; the tiers come from our Backend, database & auth tier list.

Clerk vs Supabase, side by side
Field	Clerk	Supabase
Tier	A	S
Why this tier	It is the fastest way to add auth to a Next.js or React app. It covers one job well, so it sits at A-tier.	It is the default backend for vibe-coded apps, and many app builders integrate with it. Postgres, auth, storage and edge functions in one place make it S-tier.
Best for	Adding auth to a Next.js or React app fast Drop-in user management	Vibe-coded apps that need a backend Postgres with auth, storage and edge functions Pairing with app builders that integrate with it
Skip if	You need a full backend (see Supabase) You aren't using a JavaScript front end	You want a reactive TypeScript backend (see Convex) You only need auth (see Clerk)
Free tier	Yes: Hobby plan: free, no credit card; 50,000 monthly retained users per app; up to 3 dashboard seats (source: clerk.com/pricing, checked 17 Oct 2026)	Yes: $0/month: 50,000 monthly active users, 500 MB database, 5 GB egress, 1 GB file storage; projects pause after 1 week of inactivity; 2 active projects (source: supabase.com/pricing, checked 17 Oct 2026)
Key facts	Not verified	Open source: yes (Apache-2.0)
Last checked	16 Oct 2026	16 Oct 2026
Tier history	A since 14 Oct 2026: Initial ranking at launch	S since 14 Oct 2026: Initial ranking at launch

Tools last checked 16 Oct 2026. Tiers are editorial opinion: how we rank · More Backend, database & auth comparisons · All comparisons