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Local Supabase development

Supabase CLI

The first-party CLI for running and managing a local containerized Supabase development stack.

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Editorial verdict

Choose Supabase CLI for Supabase-native local development and migration workflows, while validating hosted-only behavior and production configuration separately.12

Best for

  • Local Postgres schema and migration development for Supabase
  • Supabase auth, storage, and edge-function integration workflows
  • Teams using a container-capable local or CI environment
12

Not ideal for

  • Applications not using Supabase
  • Teams unable to run the local container stack reliably
  • Tests intended to prove hosted scale, recovery, or operational behavior
12
Main trade-off

A cohesive local Supabase stack speeds development while version alignment, container resources, secrets, seed data, and hosted differences require discipline.12

Product boundary

Whether local Supabase services provide a useful development boundary without hiding differences from the hosted platform.

Supabase CLI runs a documented local service stack; it does not reproduce hosted capacity, regions, operational controls, quotas, billing, or every managed behavior.12

For: Supabase teams developing database, auth, storage, and edge-function changes locally

  • The product moves away from Supabase.
  • Local container resources are unreliable.
  • A critical feature exists only in the hosted platform.

Why teams consider Supabase CLI

  • Supabase-native stackThe CLI coordinates documented local Supabase services.12
  • Migration workflowDatabase changes can be developed and tested before remote application.12
  • Local isolationDevelopers can use local project data and credentials.12

Pricing

The CLI is open source and local execution has no separate Supabase service fee; local compute is owned by the team and hosted projects follow current Supabase pricing.3

Local Supabase workflow

Open-source CLI plus containers

Model local/CI compute, images, storage, version updates, and any connected hosted Supabase project.3

CLI boundary
Open-source local tooling3
Hosted boundary
Remote projects and managed resources follow Supabase pricing3
Pricing checked View official pricing

Supabase CLI vs alternatives

Firebase Local Emulator Suite

Choose when
Firebase products define the backend.
Avoid when
The application is built around Supabase/Postgres.
Compared with Supabase CLI
Firebase-specific emulation replaces a Postgres-centered stack.45

LocalStack

Choose when
Broad AWS service emulation is required.
Avoid when
Only the Supabase backend needs local parity.
Compared with Supabase CLI
AWS API coverage replaces the cohesive Supabase stack.67

AWS SAM CLI

Choose when
The application is SAM-defined AWS serverless.
Avoid when
Supabase services own the backend workflow.
Compared with Supabase CLI
Serverless-template tooling replaces database/auth/storage emulation.89

Resources and sources

Official product, policy, pricing, and maintenance

  • Supabase local development
    Open
  • Supabase CLI repository
    Open
  • Supabase pricing
    Open
  1. 1
    Supabase local development

    Supabase · Accessed Official

  2. 2
    Supabase CLI repository

    Supabase · Accessed Official

  3. 3
    Supabase pricing

    Supabase · Accessed Official

  4. 4
    Firebase Local Emulator Suite

    Google Firebase · Accessed Official

  5. 5
    Connect and prototype with Emulator Suite

    Google Firebase · Accessed Official

  6. 6
    LocalStack overview

    LocalStack · Accessed Official

  7. 7
    LocalStack service coverage

    LocalStack · Accessed Official

  8. 8
    AWS SAM CLI local testing

    Amazon Web Services · Accessed Official

  9. 9
    AWS SAM CLI repository

    Amazon Web Services · Accessed Official