Deploy Supabase Realtime Chat For Free

A Supabase realtime chat app splits cleanly: Supabase hosts the database, auth and realtime layer, while the frontend can deploy as static files on Netlify, Cloudflare Pages or another static host.

Supabase Realtime Chat · supabase/supabase

Use Supabase for database, auth and realtime subscriptions.

Use Netlify or Cloudflare Pages for the static React frontend.

Review Row Level Security before allowing real users into the chat.

Best free hosts

Supabase NEW Supabase Inc.

Supabase is an open source Firebase alternative with Postgres, Auth, instant APIs, Edge Functions and Realtime subscriptions.

BaaS #database#auth#realtime

Free tier

500 MB database, 1 GB file storage, 5 GB egress plus 5 GB cached egress

Paid from $25/mo · Multi-region

Pauses when idle · Suspends at the limit

✓ Docs verified 2026-08-18

Visit Supabase

Netlify Netlify Inc.

Netlify is a web developer platform that multiplies productivity by unifying the elements of the modern decoupled web.

Static Hosting #frontend#jamstack#serverless

Free tier

300 credits/month on the free plan

Paid from $9/mo · Global CDN

Suspends at the limit · Some constraints remain unconfirmed

✓ Docs verified 2026-08-18

Visit Netlify

Cloudflare Pages NEW Cloudflare

Cloudflare Pages is a JAMstack platform for frontend developers to collaborate and deploy websites on Cloudflare's global edge network.

Static Hosting #frontend#jamstack#edge

Free tier

Unlimited static asset requests, 500 builds/month, 100 projects/account

Workers $5/mo · 330+ cities

Some constraints remain unconfirmed

✓ Docs verified 2026-08-18

Visit Cloudflare Pages

Supabase is the primary recommendation for this deployment path.

Deployment path

1 Create a Supabase project and apply the schema/policies from the example.
2 Copy the project URL and anon key into the frontend environment variables.
3 Build the frontend and deploy it to Netlify or Cloudflare Pages.
4 Test sign-in, message insert, realtime updates and row-level security.
5 Monitor database and realtime limits before inviting many users.

Deployment notes

This is one of the cleanest free deployment patterns: managed BaaS plus static frontend. The operational risk shifts from servers to data policies and usage quotas.

FAQ

Where does the backend run?

Supabase hosts the backend pieces: Postgres, auth and realtime subscriptions. The frontend can be static.

Is the anon key secret?

No. The anon key is intended for client use; Row Level Security policies decide what users can actually access.

Can a chat app stay free?

For small demos, yes. Realtime traffic and database growth can push it to paid tiers.