Choosing a Database for Your AI-Built App

For most AI-built web apps: use Supabase (managed PostgreSQL). It gives you a database, authentication, file storage, and real-time features in one platform. If your AI tool already connected Firebase, that's fine too. Both are solid choices for apps with up to hundreds of thousands of users.

The most versatile option. Handles structured data, JSON, full-text search, and complex queries. Supabase adds auth, storage, and a dashboard on top. Best for: most web apps, SaaS products, marketplaces, and anything with relational data (users have orders, orders have items).

Google's platform with real-time database, auth, storage, and hosting. Data is stored as JSON documents, not tables. Best for: real-time apps (chat, collaboration), mobile apps, and projects where you want everything from one provider. Less ideal for complex queries and reporting.

Document database - stores data as flexible JSON-like objects. Popular with some AI tools because the schema is flexible (no migrations needed). Best for: prototypes, apps with unpredictable data shapes, and content management. Less ideal when you need complex relationships between data.

Usually: don't. Migrating databases is expensive and risky. The database your AI tool chose is probably fine for your first 10,000 users. Consider switching only if: your current database can't handle your query patterns, you're hitting hard scaling limits, or you need features your current database doesn't support (like full-text search or geospatial queries).