How to Set Up Supabase — Free Database + Auth + Storage in One
Supabase gives you a database, user login, and file storage in a single free account. It's the all-in-one alternative to setting up Turso + Clerk + R2 separately.
This guide was written as of April 2026. If anything looks different, let us know.
Before you start
What you'll have at the end
Supabase project URL and anon key in your .env file
Free tier
500MB database, 1GB storage, 50K MAU, 2 projects. Next tier: $25/mo.
When to use Supabase vs individual tools
If you set up Turso (guide #1), you don't need Supabase for a database. Supabase is the all-in-one alternative — database + user login + file storage in a single service. Use it if you want ONE account instead of three separate ones (Turso + Clerk + R2).
The tradeoff: less generous database free tier (500MB vs 9GB) but more built-in features.
Create a Supabase account
Go to supabase.com and sign up with GitHub. Free plan, no credit card required.
Create a new project
Click New Project. Pick a name, set a database password (save this), and choose a region close to your users. Click Create.
Get your credentials
Go to Settings > API. Copy your Project URL and anon/public key.
Add to your .env file
Add these to your .env file:
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=your-project-url
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-anon-key
What you now have
With one Supabase project, you now have:
- A Postgres database
- User authentication (email, Google, GitHub, etc.)
- File storage (1GB free)
- Realtime subscriptions
Tell your AI tool what you want to build — it knows Supabase well.
Verify it works
Your Supabase dashboard should show your project. You should have two new lines in your .env file. Your AI tool can now use Supabase for everything.
Tell Your AI Tool
Copy this prompt and paste it into your AI coding tool. It tells your AI exactly what credentials you just set up.
I've set up Supabase. My credentials are in my .env file: - NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL - NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY Use Supabase for [database / auth / file storage / all of the above]. Build [describe your app].
Paste the prompt into the chat panel (Cmd+L or Ctrl+L). Cursor can also read your .env file directly — if your credentials are there, it already knows.
YepAPI Tip
Supabase handles your users and their data. YepAPI handles external data — SEO, scraping, AI. Together they're a complete backend.
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Supabase — FAQ
Supabase is an open-source platform that gives you a database, user authentication, file storage, and realtime features — all in one account. Think of it as the all-in-one backend for your app.
Turso is just a database — simple, fast, generous free tier (9GB). Supabase is a full platform with database (500MB free), auth, file storage, and more. If you only need a database, Turso gives you more. If you want everything in one place, use Supabase.
For most side projects, yes. You get 500MB database, 1GB file storage, 50K monthly active users, and 2 projects. The next tier is $25/month.
Yes. One Supabase account can replace Turso (database) + Clerk (auth) + Cloudflare R2 (file storage). The tradeoff is smaller individual free tiers, but only one account to manage.
Start vibe coding with one API key.
One API key. 100+ endpoints. Yep, that's it.