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.

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Netlify Netlify Inc.

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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.