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beginner

Picking a database as a beginner

Updated 2026-10-15. Sourced from vendor docs · verified 15 Oct 2026 · hands-on test pending wherever a sentence depends on a vendor page.

Add a database when the app must remember people or rows. Until then, a static page is simpler and often free.

Answer

Skip a database for a one-page site. Add one when you need accounts, saved items, or orders. Supabase Free is a hosted Postgres you can start on, with a 500 MB cap and a pause after a week idle. Firebase Studio is not a place to start a new project.

Beginner path

Do you need one?

You need a database when the app must remember something after you close the tab, for someone other than you editing the code.

You do not need one for:

  • A landing page
  • A tip jar that links out to a payment page
  • A list you are happy to edit in the source file

You do need one for accounts, comments, orders, or a list visitors can add to.

A beginner default

Supabase is hosted Postgres. The free plan is $0, includes 500 MB, allows two active projects, and pauses a project after one week of inactivity. Pro starts at $25 a month. Those numbers are from the pricing page, checked 15 October 2026.

Start with one table. For a tip jar log that might be notes with a message and a created time. Add login later.

Ask for a table, not a platform
Add a Supabase table named notes with a text message and a created_at timestamp.
Read the URL and the public key from environment variables.
Do not put the service-role key in client code.
Show the latest 20 notes on the page.
Do not add login yet.

Advanced path

When the $25 plan is not the bill

Supabase bills compute per project on top of the plan. Their pricing page walks through two Micro projects on Pro costing $35 a month after the included $10 credit. Spend caps are on by default on Pro. Leave the cap on until you mean to exceed it.

Bolt's own database is a different product from Supabase. The billing help says connecting Supabase requires Pro or Teams. If an agent "adds Supabase" inside a free Bolt project, check whether it created a real project or a placeholder URL.

Row-level security is the feature that makes a browser-safe key possible. If you do not want to learn it this week, keep writes on the server and keep the privileged key in an env var.

Next step

Questions

Can I use the database inside Bolt or Lovable instead?

Bolt's pricing page lists unlimited Bolt databases on the free plan, and its billing help says a Supabase connection requires Pro or Teams. Lovable sells Cloud credits for its own hosting. Using the builder's built-in storage is fine for a demo. This guide is for when you want a database you can name and keep.

Should I start on Firebase Studio?

No. New Firebase Studio signup has been disabled since 22 June 2026. Core Firebase products still exist, and this site does not yet have a Firestore pricing page.

Sources