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Supabase Overview

Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service that provides everything you need for cloud-powered apps: authentication, database, storage, and real-time features.

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What is Supabase?

Supabase gives you:
  • Authentication — User signup/login
  • Database — PostgreSQL database for your data
  • Storage — File and image uploads
  • Realtime — Live data subscriptions
All accessible through a simple API that works perfectly with Nativeline.

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Why Supabase?

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Perfect for Nativeline

Nativeline has built-in Supabase support:
  • Easy connection setup
  • AI understands Supabase patterns
  • Automatic code generation
  • Secure credential storage

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Generous Free Tier

Get started without paying:
  • 500 MB database
  • 1 GB file storage
  • 50,000 monthly active users
  • Unlimited API requests
Most indie apps never exceed these limits.

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Open Source

  • No vendor lock-in
  • Self-host if you want
  • Active community
  • Transparent pricing

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What You Can Build

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Apps with User Accounts

  • Signup with email/password
  • Social login (coming soon)
  • Password reset
  • Session management

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Apps with Cloud Data

  • Store any data type
  • Query and filter
  • Relationships between data
  • Full-text search

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Apps with File Uploads

  • Profile photos
  • User-generated content
  • Documents and PDFs
  • Audio and video

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Apps with Live Features

  • Real-time chat
  • Live feeds
  • Collaborative editing
  • Instant notifications

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Supabase Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Your App                        │
│               (Nativeline iOS)                   │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                      │ API Calls
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Supabase Cloud                      │
│                                                  │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐       │
│  │   Auth   │  │ Database │  │ Storage  │       │
│  │          │  │(Postgres)│  │ (Files)  │       │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘       │
│                                                  │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐                     │
│  │ Realtime │  │Edge Func │                     │
│  │          │  │(Optional)│                     │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Key Concepts

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Project

A Supabase project is your isolated backend environment. Each project has its own:
  • Database
  • Storage buckets
  • Auth configuration
  • API keys

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API Keys

Two types of keys:
  • anon key — Safe for client apps, respects Row Level Security
  • service_role key — Full access, server-only, never in app
Nativeline uses the anon key, which is safe to include in your app.

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Row Level Security (RLS)

Controls who can see and modify data. Essential for multi-user apps. Example: “Users can only see their own tasks” 
CREATE POLICY "Users see own tasks"
ON tasks FOR SELECT
USING (auth.uid() = user_id);

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Free vs Paid

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Free Tier Includes

FeatureLimit
Database500 MB
Storage1 GB
Auth users50,000 MAU
API requestsUnlimited
RealtimeYes
SupportCommunity

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When to Upgrade

Consider Pro ($25/month) when you need:
  • More storage
  • Larger database
  • Daily backups
  • Email support
  • More projects

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Getting Started

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Prerequisites

  • A Supabase account (free)
  • A Nativeline project

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Quick Start Steps

  1. Create Supabase account at supabase.com
  2. Create a new project
  3. Get your project URL and anon key
  4. Connect in Nativeline

Setup Guide

Step-by-step Supabase setup

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Common Use Cases

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User Authentication

Let users create accounts and log in:
  • Email/password signup
  • Session management
  • Password reset
  • Profile data
Authentication Guide →

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Data Storage

Store your app’s data in the cloud:
  • Create tables for your data
  • Query and filter
  • Relationships (one-to-many, etc.)
  • Full-text search
Database Guide →

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File Storage

Upload and serve files:
  • User profile photos
  • Document uploads
  • Media files
  • Public or private access
Storage Guide →

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Real-Time Updates

Get instant updates when data changes:
  • Chat messages appearing instantly
  • Live activity feeds
  • Collaborative editing
  • Notifications
Realtime Guide →

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Supabase vs Alternatives

FeatureSupabaseFirebaseAWS Amplify
Open source✅❌❌
PostgreSQL✅❌✅
Free tierGenerousGenerousLimited
Self-host✅❌❌
Learning curveEasyEasyMedium
iOS supportGreatGreatGood

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Next Steps

Setup Guide

Connect Supabase to your app

Authentication

Add user accounts

Database

Store and query data

Storage

Upload files