A Supabase Storage Alternative for Plain File Uploads

Step by step

1. Create an app

   Sign in at api.rapidfile.cc with a free Enzonic account, create an app and copy its secret key. Store the key on your server only.

2. Ask for an upload

   From your server, send the file name, size, type and access setting to the Upload API. It returns a signed address for the browser.

3. Send the file

   Send the file to that address from your front end or a script. Large files are split into parts automatically.

4. Serve or share it

   Public files are served from a CDN. For private files, your server creates a signed URL and hands it to the viewer.

Supabase Storage is the file layer of Supabase, the open-source platform built on Postgres. Files live in buckets inside a Supabase project, and you control who can read or write them with access policies that sit next to your database tables. That is a good model when your data and your files belong to the same app, and it is the main reason developers choose it. Others look for an alternative for different reasons. Their free storage and egress allowances are small, the per-file upload limit on the free plan is low, and some want file storage without adopting a database and authentication platform they do not otherwise need. Rapidfile's Upload API is one option. It is persistent file storage for developers' apps, with signed browser upload addresses, private files, webhooks and multipart uploads for large files. It does not include a database, so it is a fit only when you want files handled as their own service.

The short version

Supabase figures are from Supabase's pricing page as of October 2026. Plans change — check their site.

Where Supabase Storage is the stronger pick

Supabase Storage is the better choice when you want one platform for the whole app. Access policies for files use the same Postgres policy system as your tables, so you write the rules once and test them with the same tools. Authentication, database, storage and real-time features all share one project, one dashboard and one billing relationship. For a small team that would otherwise run several services, that consolidation is valuable.

Supabase also offers image transformations, which resize and convert images on request. Its pricing page notes that using them incurs additional charges, so budget for that separately. If your product depends on generating image variants on the fly, Supabase covers that step in the same place as your files. Rapidfile's Upload API and Rapidfile Media do not list resizing or conversion among their features, so you would need another step or another service for it.

Where Rapidfile fits better

Rapidfile is a good fit when you want file storage as a standalone service. These points stand out:

• Bigger files on the free tier. The free plan allows files up to 512 MB, while Supabase's free plan caps uploads at 50 MB per file.
• Bandwidth free on paid tiers. Supabase Pro includes 250 GB of egress, then bills $0.09 per GB. Rapidfile's paid tiers do not charge for bandwidth, which makes downloads easier to forecast for a file-heavy app.
• Clear storage tiers. Starter is $5 per month for 100 GB. Growth is $15 per month for 500 GB. Scale is $49 per month for 2 TB, and it allows files up to 50 GB. Details are on the Upload API pricing page.
• No database required. You do not need to run a Supabase project to store files. The API works from any server, with any database or sign-in system.
• Unlimited CDN requests. Public files are served without a request cap.
• Tools for AI agents. An MCP server lets an assistant list and upload files, and a JavaScript SDK covers the common calls in your app.

Pricing: how the numbers compare

Supabase's Free plan is generous for building a prototype: 1 GB of storage and 5 GB of egress will cover a small demo. Once an app has real users, the Pro plan at $25 per month is the usual step, and it includes 100 GB of storage. Egress is the number to watch. Pro includes 250 GB of egress, and downloads beyond that are billed at $0.09 per GB, so a file-heavy app can hit overage quickly. Check Supabase's pricing page for how egress is counted before you size a plan.

Rapidfile's Starter plan costs $5 per month for 100 GB of storage, and bandwidth is free on paid tiers. If your app's main cost is storing and serving user files, that difference can be meaningful. The comparison only holds when you need files and not a database. If you pay for Supabase Pro already for its database, Storage is included in that plan, and adding Rapidfile would be an extra cost.

Access control: policies or signed URLs

Supabase lets you write policies for storage objects in Postgres. A policy can allow a user to read only files in their own folder, and the policy checks the same authentication token your app uses for data. That is precise and consistent, but you need to know Postgres and test the policies carefully.

Rapidfile's model is simpler. You keep the secret key on your server, mark a file as private if it should not be public, and create signed URLs for viewers who should see it. Your application code decides who gets a link. The tradeoff is that a signed URL works for anyone who holds it until it stops working, so it is best for sharing a file, not for rules that change with each request. If your access rules depend on the database, Supabase's policies are the more natural fit.

Moving from Supabase Storage

Plan the move in a few steps. First, list your buckets and the number of files and total size in each. Second, download the files with Supabase's client or API, then upload them to Rapidfile through the Upload API. Third, update the file paths or URLs stored in your database so they point to the new locations. Fourth, run both systems side by side until you have checked that every file opens correctly, and then retire the Supabase bucket. Start with a small bucket so you can see how long the transfer takes for your typical file sizes.

Also check where your files are stored relative to your users. Latency is easy to measure: request a few files from different locations and note the response times. If your audience is spread across regions, confirm how each platform serves downloads before you move production traffic, because the answer may matter more than the price difference on a small app.

Which one should you use?

Choose Supabase Storage if your files and your data are tightly linked, you already use Supabase's database and authentication, or you want image transformations next to your storage. Choose Rapidfile's Upload API if you need files stored and served as their own service, you want larger free files and bandwidth that is free on paid tiers, and you would rather not adopt a full backend platform. If you are already happy with Supabase for your application, keep it for the data and use Rapidfile only if the file traffic becomes the main cost.

FAQ

Updated 2026-10-20