Supabase or Xano: which backend suits your application?

Two developers looking at a sketch of a system architecture on a whiteboard

Supabase or Xano is a question we often get from organisations having a web application, portal or internal tool built. Both are backends: the place where data is stored, where users log in and where the logic of your application runs. Both are mature, stable and scalable, and we use both in production. The choice does not depend on which one is better, but on how your application is built and who manages it afterwards. In this article we set out the differences.

What does a backend do in an application?

A backend stores your application's data, controls who has access to what and runs the logic that does not belong in the browser. Think of users and roles, orders, documents, calculations, emails that need to be sent and integrations with other systems.

The front end, what users see, talks to the backend through an API. That front end can be a Webflow site, an application in Next.js or React, or a mobile app. The backend is the foundation everything rests on.

What is Supabase?

Supabase is a backend platform built around a PostgreSQL database, with authentication, file storage, realtime updates and server functions included. It is open source and can run both in the cloud and on your own infrastructure.

The core of Supabase is the database itself. You work directly with tables, relations and SQL, and you set access rules at database level with row level security. That keeps security as close to the data as possible. Logic that requires more than a query is written in server functions in TypeScript.

What is Xano?

Xano is a backend platform in which you build your database, API and logic visually. You define tables, assemble API endpoints from function steps and see exactly what happens per endpoint: fetching data, filtering, calculating, calling an external service, returning a result.

Under the hood Xano also runs on PostgreSQL, but you rarely work with it directly. Its strength is the visual API builder, which makes logic readable for people who do not write code. Xano runs in the cloud, with the option of using your own instance in a region of your choice.

How do Supabase and Xano differ?

Supabase and Xano differ mainly in how you build, where the logic lives and who can maintain it after delivery. In terms of stability and scalability there is little between them.

Way of building

Supabase is code-first: the database is central and you write logic in SQL and TypeScript. Xano is visual: you build logic as a series of steps in an interface. For a development team that works in code, Supabase feels natural. For a team that wants to be able to read and adjust logic without code, Xano is a better fit.

Where the logic lives

With Supabase, much of the logic lives in the application itself or in the database, with access rules at table level. With Xano, the logic lives in Xano's API endpoints, and the front end is mainly a display. That affects how you structure the application.

Version control and collaboration

Because Supabase works with code and migrations, it fits well into a development process with Git, code reviews and automated tests. Xano has its own version control and branches within the platform, which works fine but is separate from the rest of your codebase.

Realtime and files

Supabase has realtime updates and file storage built in as standard. Xano also supports realtime and file storage, but they are less central to how you build.

When do you choose Supabase?

Choose Supabase if your application is built in code and you want to treat the database as the heart of your system.

The front end is a custom application in Next.js or React.
You want version control, tests and deployment in one development process.
Access rules are complex and you want to enforce them at database level.
Realtime collaboration or live updates are a core feature.
You want to keep the option of hosting the backend yourself.

When do you choose Xano?

Choose Xano if the logic needs to be visible and adjustable for people who do not write code, or if the front end is a visually built environment.

The front end runs on Webflow, for example with Wized as the connecting layer.
Your team wants to be able to read endpoints and make small changes themselves after delivery.
The application runs mainly on API logic: calculations, integrations, workflows.
You already work with Xano and want to build on that.

Can you still switch later?

Yes, switching is possible, but it takes work. Both platforms use PostgreSQL, so the data itself is easy to move. The logic has to be rebuilt, because it is defined differently in each platform. The clearer your API structure, the easier a switch. That is a reason to make a clear separation between front end and backend from the start.

Which one do we choose?

We choose per project. For applications we build in Next.js, Supabase is usually the logical choice. For portals and tools on Webflow, or when the client wants to manage the logic themselves, we often choose Xano. In both cases we explain the trade-off in advance, so you know why.

Want to know which backend suits what you want to build? Read more about application development or about building a portal, or get in touch.