Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Supabase VS Signal

Compare Supabase VS Signal and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Supabase logo Supabase

An open source Firebase alternative

Signal logo Signal

Fast, simple & secure messaging. Privacy that fits in your pocket.
  • Supabase Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-27
  • Signal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-20

Supabase features and specs

  • Real-time capabilities
    Supabase offers real-time database features that allow you to subscribe to database changes and sync data with your frontend seamlessly.
  • PostgreSQL foundation
    Supabase is built on PostgreSQL, a robust, mature, and highly extensible SQL database, providing strong data integrity and reliability.
  • Open-source
    Supabase is open-source, which means you can inspect, modify, and contribute to the source code. This fosters community engagement and transparency.
  • Ease of use
    Supabase provides an intuitive dashboard and auto-generated APIs, making it easy for developers to manage databases without extensive backend knowledge.
  • Authentication and Authorization
    Supabase includes pre-built authentication and authorization modules, supporting various sign-in methods like email, OAuth, and more, simplifying user management.
  • Scalability
    Supabase is designed to scale with your application, offering plans that can handle from small to large-scale traffic and data operations.

Possible disadvantages of Supabase

  • New and evolving
    As a relatively new platform, Supabase is still evolving, which means it might lack some features found in more mature solutions and could have occasional bugs or stability issues.
  • Limited integration
    Currently, Supabase has fewer third-party integrations compared to other established backend-as-a-service (BaaS) providers, which might limit its utility in diverse tech stacks.
  • Learning curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there could be a learning curve for those unfamiliar with PostgreSQL or real-time database concepts.
  • Pricing for advanced features
    While Supabase offers a free tier, advanced features, and higher usage plans come with a cost. This might be limiting for startups or hobby projects with tight budgets.
  • Limited geographic presence
    Supabase's infrastructure might have limited geographic data centers compared to larger cloud providers, potentially affecting latency and performance for users in certain regions.

Signal features and specs

  • End-to-End Encryption
    Signal uses end-to-end encryption to ensure that only the sender and the recipient can read the messages. This makes it highly secure against eavesdropping.
  • Open Source
    Signal's code is open source, allowing anyone to inspect, audit, and improve it. This transparency helps to build trust and ensure the security of the platform.
  • User Privacy
    Signal is designed to collect minimal data from its users. It does not store metadata about contacts, messages, or user activity, thereby prioritizing user privacy.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Signal is available on a variety of platforms including iOS, Android, and desktop, making it accessible to a broad range of users.
  • Multi-purpose Usage
    Beyond just text messaging, Signal supports voice and video calls, as well as file sharing, making it a versatile communication tool.

Possible disadvantages of Signal

  • Limited User Base
    Compared to more popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Signal has a smaller user base, which may limit its utility as a communication tool.
  • Dependence on Phone Number
    Signal requires users to register with a phone number, which can be a privacy concern for some people who prefer not to share their number.
  • Backup Limitations
    Signal does not offer cloud backups for messages, which means users have to rely on local backups that can be more cumbersome to manage.
  • User Interface
    Some users find Signal's user interface to be less polished and user-friendly compared to other mainstream messaging apps.
  • Notification Issues
    There have been reports of unreliable notifications that can result in missed messages or calls, potentially impacting the user experience.

Analysis of Supabase

Overall verdict

  • Supabase is a strong choice for developers looking for an affordable, open-source solution to manage their application's back-end with real-time data and user authentication.

Why this product is good

  • Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase, providing a robust back-end platform for web and mobile applications.
  • It offers real-time capabilities, authentication, and auto-generated APIs with PostgreSQL, making it versatile and efficient.
  • The platform is developer-friendly with excellent documentation and an active community.
  • Being open-source allows for greater flexibility and control over your projects.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking an open-source alternative to Firebase.
  • Teams that require real-time data synchronization.
  • Projects needing a scalable and easy-to-use back-end solution.
  • Individuals or teams working with PostgreSQL.

Analysis of Signal

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Signal is generally considered a good messaging app.

Why this product is good

  • Signal is known for its strong emphasis on privacy and security. It uses end-to-end encryption to ensure that only the communicating users can read the messages. The app is open-source, which allows for external audits of its code, providing transparency. It does not collect metadata or user data beyond what is necessary for the operation of the service.

Recommended for

  • Privacy-conscious individuals who prioritize secure communication.
  • Journalists and activists who require confidential communications.
  • Users who prefer open-source software.
  • Anyone seeking a simple and user-friendly secure messaging app.

Supabase videos

Basic demo

More videos:

  • Review - Supabase in 100 Seconds by Fireship

Signal videos

Why We Should All Be Using Signal Messenger

More videos:

  • Review - WhatsApp vs Telegram vs Signal: Which is the BEST?!
  • Review - THE SIGNAL: explained

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Supabase and Signal)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Communication
0 0%
100% 100
Realtime Backend / API
100 100%
0% 0
Group Chat & Notifications

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Supabase and Signal

Supabase Reviews

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
Supabase makes it incredibly easy to migrate from Firebase. Its data structure and APIs are designed to feel familiar, so you can switch without a major learning curve. Plus, the open-source nature means you have complete control over your code and data.
Source: genezio.com
Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Community Support and Longevity: Investigate the size and activity of the platform's community. A larger, more active community can provide better support and resources. Platforms like Parse and Supabase have strong community support.
Source: signoz.io
5 Best Vercel Alternatives for Next.js & App Router
Supabase distinguishes itself through its focus on data and community-driven development. Self-hosting capabilities allow you to deploy Supabase's suite of products within your own infrastructure. This maintains data ownership while still leveraging Supabase's tools.
Source: il.ly
Best Serverless Backend Tools of 2023: Pros & Cons, Features & Code Examples
Create an account, a project, and a database. Unlike a NoSQL database like Firebase’s, you need to have a structure ready to be able to manipulate data. But once this step is done―and you’ll have ready-to-use templates to help speed up this part―you can call Supabase like so:
Source: www.rowy.io
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Supabase is another trusted platform in our list that calls itself an open-source alternative to Firebase. You can also name it one of the newest cloud service providers similar to Firebase because it launched in 2020. Indeed, with great scalability and documentation support, Supabase could be an ideal option.

Signal Reviews

7 best Mattermost alternatives for secure business messaging
Signal offers a secure instant messaging platform for businesses and others concerned about privacy. On Signal, business teams communicate one-on-one or in groups through text, voice, or video calls. The software is open-source and the server, mobile, and desktop client is published through AGPL v3.0 restrictive license. All data and messages are end-to-end encrypted.
Source: www.rocket.chat
20 Telegram Alternatives to Chat With in 2024
Signal is not a broadcasting app (although it does have a stories feature), nor is it a community-building app. It's a simple messaging Telegram alternative for those wanting to chat with friends.
10 Best Secure Messaging Apps to Keep Your Conversation Private
In our comparison between Signal vs Telegram vs WhatsApp, we found that Signal is the most secure messaging app out there. Signal uses the gold standard, open-source Signal Protocol to implement end-to-end encryption. And it implements E2E encryption on all forms of communication on Signal– be it voice/video calls, chat messages, media, or audio clips.
Source: beebom.com
10 Best Telegram Alternatives in 2024
Signal is an alternative Telegram app which was first developed in the year 2014 by Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton, Signal was launched after whatsapp and after its launch various organizations shifted their work to Signal from Whatsapp due to its highly secured and safe features than any other app.
Top 10 Apps like Telegram for Android and IOs [2023]
Signal is a messaging program that offers all the features you would anticipate from a modern instant messaging app, with a heavy focus on privacy. Signal is one of the safest messaging apps on the market thanks to its open-source architecture, end-to-end encryption, and commitment to never accumulating user data. If you're seeking secure apps like Telegram, Signal's...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Supabase should be more popular than Signal. It has been mentiond 505 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Supabase mentions (505)

View more

Signal mentions (184)

  • Magic of software; what makes a good engineer also makes a good engineering org
    This is the Moxie that created Signal.[0] I'm pointing this out because people are acting like he's a bit naive. But Moxie has built a very successful company, without the need for VCs, and the tech is used by many big tech companies. Several use the signal protocol. It's a successful nonprofit building open source software. If your focus is to make large amounts of money, maybe his isn't the best advice. But if... - Source: Hacker News / 30 days ago
  • Rely less on Third-Party Services
    Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messenger,. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • How to Make a Product Secure: A Developer's Perspective
    Signal: This messaging app is built with end-to-end encryption at its core. It’s open-source, allowing experts worldwide to audit its security protocols. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • 3G Cell Service Has a HUGE Security Flaw. 🫢
    Well, the best thing you can do right now is stop using cell service (particularly 3G networks) whenever possible. For texting and phone calls, use an encrypted internet based service, like Signal or WhatsApp. Use authenticator apps or passkeys for two-factor authentication instead of your phone number. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • WhatsApp forces Pegasus spyware maker to share its secret code
    Just so you know: https://grapheneos.org/ and https://signal.org/ do exist! - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Supabase and Signal, you can also consider the following products

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

Telegram - Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free.

Next.js - A small framework for server-rendered universal JavaScript apps

Element.io - Secure messaging app with strong end-to-end encryption, advanced group chat privacy settings, secure video calls for teams, encrypted communication using Matrix open network. Riot.im is now Element.

AppWrite - Appwrite provides web and mobile developers with a set of easy-to-use and integrate REST APIs to manage their core backend needs.

WhatsApp - WhatsApp Messenger: More than 1 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family, anytime and anywhere.