Can I use Supabase Auth with StackBE billing?

Yes. Use Supabase Auth for user authentication and StackBE for billing. Store the StackBE customer ID in your Supabase user's metadata, or use email to link them. This gives you Supabase's auth flexibility with StackBE's billing features.

Does Supabase have any billing features?

No. Supabase focuses on database, auth, storage, and serverless functions. For billing, you need to integrate Stripe directly (and handle webhooks, subscription state, etc.) or use a billing layer like StackBE.

What's the easiest way to add billing to a Supabase app?

The easiest approaches: (1) Use StackBE for billing and connect StackBE customers to Supabase users, or (2) Use a Stripe + Supabase template/starter that has webhook handling pre-built. DIY Stripe integration works but requires more code.

Should I use Supabase's auth or StackBE's auth?

If you need social login, phone auth, or SAML, use Supabase Auth. If magic links are sufficient and you want unified auth + billing, use StackBE's auth. Using both adds complexity—choose based on which auth features you actually need.

Can StackBE replace Supabase entirely?

For billing-focused SaaS apps (where the core is subscription access, not complex data), StackBE can be sufficient. You won't have Supabase's database, storage, or real-time features, but if you don't need them, StackBE simplifies your stack. For apps with significant data storage needs, use both.

StackBE vs Supabase: When Your SaaS Needs Billing

Feature	Supabase	StackBE
Database	PostgreSQL
Authentication	Full-featured	Magic links
Storage
Edge Functions
Billing
Subscriptions
Entitlements	Via RLS (DIY)	Built-in
Real-time
Free Tier	Generous	Trial
Primary Use	App backend	SaaS billing

What is Supabase?

Supabase is an open-source Firebase alternative providing a complete backend for web and mobile applications. It's become incredibly popular for its developer experience and generous free tier.

Supabase provides:

PostgreSQL database with real-time subscriptions

Authentication (email, social, magic links, phone)

Storage for files and media

Edge Functions (serverless)

Auto-generated APIs (REST and GraphQL)

Row-level security for authorization

It's a powerful foundation for building applications quickly.

What is StackBE?

StackBE is a subscription backend specifically for SaaS monetization. It handles the billing layer that Supabase doesn't provide.

StackBE provides:

Customer authentication (magic links)

Subscription management via Stripe Connect

Entitlements tied to plans

Customer portal

Usage tracking

Analytics dashboard

The Gap in Supabase

Supabase is excellent for building application features. But it doesn't handle:

Payment processing

Subscription management

Plan-based feature access

Billing analytics

For a SaaS, these aren't optional. You need to charge customers and control access based on what they've paid for.

Key Differences

What They Solve

Supabase: Data storage, authentication, file storage, serverless functions. The infrastructure your application runs on.

StackBE: Customer billing, subscription lifecycle, entitlements. The monetization layer of your SaaS.

They solve different problems. The question is whether to use them together or whether StackBE can replace parts of Supabase.

Authentication

Supabase Auth: Full-featured authentication with multiple providers (email, social, magic links, phone, SAML). Users are stored in Supabase's auth schema.

StackBE: Magic link authentication for customers. Customers are stored in StackBE with their subscription status.

If using both: You could use Supabase Auth for user authentication and StackBE for customer billing. This requires mapping Supabase users to StackBE customers.

Or: Use StackBE for both auth and billing, keeping identity and billing unified.

Database

Supabase: PostgreSQL database for your application data. You control the schema. Real-time subscriptions for live updates.

StackBE: Manages its own data (customers, subscriptions, plans). Your application data lives elsewhere (could be Supabase).

StackBE doesn't replace your database. It handles billing-specific data.

Entitlements & Authorization

Supabase: Row-level security (RLS) policies control data access. You write policies based on user properties. No built-in concept of "plans" or "subscription tiers."

StackBE: Entitlements defined per plan. API to check "can this customer access feature X?" Ties directly to billing status.

To do plan-based access with Supabase alone, you'd store subscription info in your database and write RLS policies against it. Keeping this in sync with Stripe requires webhook handling and custom code.

Pricing

Supabase: Free tier with 500MB database, 1GB storage, 50K monthly active users. Pro at $25/month with higher limits.

StackBE: Flat monthly fee for the billing layer.

Combined: You might use Supabase for database/storage and StackBE for billing, paying for both. Or use StackBE alone if you don't need Supabase's database features.

Three Approaches

Approach 1: Supabase + Stripe (DIY Billing)

Use Supabase for everything, integrate Stripe directly.

Store subscription status in Supabase database

Handle Stripe webhooks to update status

Write RLS policies for plan-based access

Build your own customer portal

Works, but you're building billing infrastructure. See why this gets complex.

Approach 2: Supabase + StackBE

Use Supabase for database and storage, StackBE for billing.

Supabase stores your application data

StackBE handles customers, subscriptions, entitlements

Link Supabase users to StackBE customers via external ID

Best of both worlds, but two systems to manage.

Approach 3: StackBE Alone

If your SaaS is primarily about gated access to features (not complex data storage), StackBE might be sufficient.

StackBE handles auth, billing, entitlements

Your app logic lives in your codebase (not Supabase functions)

Use a simple database if needed, or none for simpler products

Simpler architecture, but less infrastructure capability than Supabase.

When to Use What

Use Supabase + Stripe if:

You have engineering resources for billing integration

You want everything in one "backend as a service"

You're comfortable with Stripe webhook complexity

Use Supabase + StackBE if:

You want Supabase's database but don't want to build billing

You need real-time features Supabase provides

You're okay with two systems for the separation of concerns

Use StackBE primarily if:

Your SaaS is subscription-focused (billing is the core)

You don't need Supabase's database features

Unified auth + billing matters more than general-purpose backend

The Bottom Line

Supabase and StackBE aren't directly competing—they solve different problems.

Supabase is application infrastructure: database, auth, storage. StackBE is SaaS monetization infrastructure: billing, subscriptions, entitlements.

If you're building a SaaS on Supabase and need subscriptions, StackBE can be the billing layer you add. If your SaaS is simpler and primarily needs billing, StackBE alone might suffice.

The right choice depends on what your application actually needs.

StackBE vs Supabase