PGCat vs Supabase: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for PGCat and Supabase side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
PGCat
PostgreSQL pooler and proxy with sharding, load balancing, and failover support.
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Supabase requires payment)
Supabase
Open source Firebase alternative
Best for you if:
- • You want full PostgreSQL access
| At a Glance | PGCat | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free plan, paid from $25/mo, billed monthly Pro plan |
Category | Data & Databases DevOps | Data & Databases Low-Code Backend |
Rating | n/a | 4.6/5 G2 4.6 · Capterra 5.0 233 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | Free projects pause after 7 days of inactivity: your app goes offline until someone visits it again. Not suitable for any production use, only for development and demos |
Choose PGCat or Supabase?
Choose PGCat if
- You want a fully free tool (Supabase requires payment)
- You want enhances PostgreSQL performance and scalability
- You want provides robust failover and load balancing for high availability
Choose Supabase if
- You want full PostgreSQL access
- You want generous free tier
In-Depth Analysis
PGCat
PostgreSQL pooler and proxy with sharding, load balancing, and failover support.
PGCat's pricing is extremely generous, as it offers a fully functional, open-source solution completely free of charge.
Strengths
- Pro: Enhances PostgreSQL performance and scalability.
- Pro: Provides robust failover and load balancing for high availability.
- Pro: Offers advanced features like sharding and mirroring (though some are experimental).
- Pro: Multi-threaded architecture efficiently uses multicore machines.
- Pro: Open-source with an MIT license.
Weaknesses
- Con: Some advanced features (sharding, mirroring) are still experimental.
- Con: Requires Rust for local development.
- Con: Optimal performance recommends 4 CPUs for default worker settings.
Key features
Supabase
Open source Firebase alternative
Supabase is the open-source Firebase alternative that developers actually want to use, Postgres database, authentication, storage, edge functions, and real-time subscriptions in one platform.
Watch out
Free projects pause after 7 days of inactivity: your app goes offline until someone visits it again. Not suitable for any production use, only for development and demos
Strengths
- Pro: Full PostgreSQL access
- Pro: Generous free tier
- Pro: Open-source and self-hostable
- Pro: Great developer experience
Weaknesses
- Con: Projects pause on free tier
- Con: Smaller ecosystem than Firebase
- Con: Less mature than alternatives
Key features
Plans and prices: PGCat vs Supabase
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PGCat |
| github.com/postgresml/pgcat read Oct 22, 2026 |
| Supabase |
| supabase.com/pricing read Oct 5, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on PGCat pricing and Supabase pricing.
Key Takeaways
PGCat
- Choose if you want PostgreSQL pooler and proxy with sharding, load balancing, and failover support
Supabase
- Choose if you want open source Firebase alternative
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Supabase has a published user rating (4.6/5 from 233 reviews); PGCat has none we can show.
- Supabase starts at $25/mo, billed monthly; PGCat has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do PGCat and Supabase compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Supabase has a published user rating (4.6/5 from 233 reviews); PGCat has none we can show. Supabase starts at $25/mo, billed monthly; PGCat has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are PGCat and Supabase used for?
PGCat: PostgreSQL pooler and proxy with sharding, load balancing, and failover support. Supabase: Open source Firebase alternative.
What does PGCat cost vs Supabase?
PGCat is free. Supabase's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $25/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 22, 2026.
What's the main difference between PGCat and Supabase?
PGCat's main strength: enhances PostgreSQL performance and scalability. Supabase's main strength: full PostgreSQL access.