When it comes to choosing a front-end tool for our projects, the choice is clear: WeWeb
But the choice of backend is not as easy as choice of front-end, as we often need to take into account multiple factors.
In the post below, I would like to summarize key areas which are important to consider when deciding between Xano and Supabase.
The goal is not to explain how these platforms work but what characteristics are important to make informative decision about which backend to use for your project.
Ease of use
Xano is no-code backend/visual backend development.
Supabase is serverless backend service provider.
The important difference is that one is no-code tool and the other one is closer to “low-code” definition.
In Xano, the primary way of creating app’s logic is with no-code function blocks. When/if needed you can write your own “lambda” functions in JavaScript,
Supabase doesn’t have no-code “features”. When you query data, you write SQL queries. When you implement more complex business business logic, you write Edge functions with TypeScript.
Conclusion
If you’re technically less experienced, you might have problems to implement “stuff” that is beyond standard CRUD functionalities.
Security
One thing to put clear: Both platform allow you to build secure apps. Period.
The difference is level robustness that these platforms provide.
One thing that I consider a huge advantage of Supabase compared to Xano is RLS – Row Level Security. It allows you to define on “project level” which users can access what data. You don’t need to think about it for each separate query that you’re implementing.
With Xano you can implement RLS as well individually for each data query. So the option is there but the there’s a bigger chance for human error.
Conclusion
You can build secure apps with both platform. However Supabase offers more robust approach mainly thanks to Row Level Security feature.
Working with environments
If there’s biggest downside of using Supabase for your WeWeb project, then it’s not being able to connect WeWeb project to different branches.
So even if you have staging environment in WeWeb, it’s not possible to connect it to staging version of Supabase without some “clunky” workarounds.
With Xano, you can easily connect your WeWeb environments to both: branches & data sources.
Conclusion
If you need separate backend staging environment, go with Xano.
Working with WeWeb AI
Let’s jump right into to conclusion π
Conclusion
WeWeb AI can work with Supabase. It cannot work with Xano. That one was simple π
Performance
The answer is similar as in case of security.
You can create well-performing apps in Xano and also in Supabase.
There are maybe two things that I would highlight:
- Xano has built-in Redis caching. So you can cache API outputs and/or functions with few clicks. That’s not the case of Supabase.
- Xano has so called “addons” – GraphQL-like functionality to fetch “associated data”. You don’t write these GraphQL like queries so there’s a smaller chance of “bad implementation”. (Note: Supabase has GraphQL queries as an extension)
Conclusion
You can built high-performance backends both in Xano and Supabase, however there are some features that makes the setup easier in Xano. (especially built-in caching)
Pricing
Xano is more expensive. But at the same time it’s not.
Xano plans are generally more expensive than Supabase. The lowest paid plan in Xano starts at 99$/month while Supabase stats at 25$/month.
That being said, development in Xano is usually faster. So even though you you pay less on monthly costs, you develop faster in Xano which means you save development costs.
The main difference is if you build apps that are beyond “simple CRUD”. For simple CRUD apps, the development time is almost the same.
However if you’re building more complex app with bunch of workflows, there’s a high chance that you’ll save some development time if you build in Xano
Conclusion
You pay less monthly fees with Supabase. But if you go beyond CRUD app, you save development time = less development costs.
Overall conclusion
Both platforms are great for building an app with WeWeb as a front-end. (and also in general)
My recommendation would be:
- Less tech-savvy? Go for Xano
- Strictly need separated environments? Go for Xano
- Need more robust security? Go for Supabase
- Simple CRUD app? Go for Supabase
Not sure which one to choose? Feel free to book a call and let’s chat about your project.
