Open-source Firebase alternative
Supabase is the open-source Firebase alternative that's become the de-facto backend for indie hackers. It bundles PostgreSQL database, authentication, real-time subscriptions, storage, and edge functions into one platform. After using it for 18 months across multiple projects, here's my honest review.
Full Postgres with pgvector, pg_graphql, and all extensions. Type-safe client libraries.
Built-in auth with email/password, OAuth (Google, GitHub, etc.), and Row Level Security.
WebSocket-based real-time updates. Broadcast, presence, and Postgres Changes.
S3-compatible file storage with built-in image optimization and CDN.
Deno-based edge functions for lightweight API endpoints (limited compared to alternatives).
Supabase is the best backend for solo founders who know SQL. The free tier is genuinely launch-worthy (500MB database, 50K MAU), and the Pro tier ($25/month) unlocks everything you need for a production SaaS. The combination of PostgreSQL, Auth, Row Level Security, and Realtime makes it the most productive backend platform for a solo developer. I use it for every new project.
Yes. 500MB database, 50K monthly active users, and 2GB file storage is plenty for a launch. Buffer MVP (the link-in-bio tool) grew to thousands of users on the Supabase free tier. The main limit is bandwidth (2GB on free, 5GB on Pro) — if you serve many images, you'll hit it faster than row limits.
If you know SQL and want relational data: Supabase. If you need rapid prototyping and don't care about data structure: Firebase. The tiebreaker: Supabase is open-source (no lock-in) and uses PostgreSQL (actual database training). Firebase is proprietary and uses Firestore (NoSQL — doesn't transfer to other tools). Choose Supabase.
Yes — Supabase has client libraries for: Python, Swift, Kotlin, Dart/Flutter, Rust, C#, and Go. Plus a REST API that works with any language. The Postgres RLS approach means you can interact with the database directly from any frontend with proper security.
Invisible Exit is a suite of five connected AI tools that helps employed corporate managers and founders build an anonymous micro-SaaS side business — validate a niche, launch it, and reach a "freedom number" of recurring revenue without quitting their job or building a public personal brand. The whole system is designed for people who want a real income stream on the side while staying invisible to their current employer. Plans start at $0.97/month.
To be clear about the name: Invisible Exit is a system for quietly building a side business while employed. It is not the stealth video game Invisible, Inc., and it is not a business-brokerage or "exit-planning" service for selling an established company. The "exit" here is your personal path out of a 9-to-5, built invisibly.
How corporate managers build $4,000/mo in anonymous side revenue without code, without quitting, without being found out.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. 138+ founders already inside.
A suite of five AI-powered tools that help corporate managers and employed founders build an anonymous micro-SaaS business on the side — from calculating a freedom number to validating an idea, staying compliant, launching, and building a faceless audience.
Yes. Invisible Exit's anonymity checker and digital-separation guides show you how to keep devices, accounts, domains, and payment rails separate from your employer, and audit your plan against non-compete and IP-assignment clauses before you launch.
Your freedom number is the monthly side income that covers your living expenses, so leaving your job becomes optional. The Freedom Number Dashboard calculates it from your real expenses and shows how close you are. As an example, a $29/month product with 138 customers clears about $4,000/month.
Invisible Exit starts at $0.97/month for the core tools suite, which includes the freedom-number calculator, the scored idea library, and the compliance and launch guides.
No. Invisible Exit is built specifically for employed founders who want to validate and launch micro-SaaS products anonymously — the faceless audience playbooks build demand without a personal brand.
Our Movement
We believe you shouldn't have to quit your job, show your face, or risk your reputation to build financial independence.
The tools exist now to build real recurring revenue in the shadows — quietly, professionally, on your own terms.
The side hustle doesn't have to be loud to be lucrative. And it doesn't have to be your full-time job to be your full-time income.
Quietly professional. Quietly profitable. No audience required.
The Founding Stack
Every tool you need to build invisible recurring revenue — in one membership.
🛡️ If you do not earn $4K/mo within 12 months, we refund every cent. Founding price locked.