How to Migrate from Supabase to AWS

From Supabase to AWS#

Supabase has become the go-to choice for developers who want to build fast. It gives you everything in one place — PostgreSQL, Auth, Storage, and Edge Functions — without needing to manage infrastructure.

But as your product matures, new requirements appear that go beyond what Supabase’s all-in-one model can offer:

• Advanced database management – high availability, read replicas, automated backups, and fine-tuned performance.
• Analytics and data warehousing – integrating with data lakes and large-scale ETL pipelines.
• Enterprise-grade compliance and security – meeting SOC, ISO, HIPAA, or FedRAMP standards.
• Granular IAM and networking – unifying database access, APIs, and infrastructure under a single identity and policy system.

That’s where AWS comes in. It offers a best-of-breed ecosystem — each component is purpose-built, scales independently, and integrates deeply with the rest of your stack. This guide walks you through how to migrate each Supabase component to its AWS counterpart — practically and step by step.

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The Migration Process#

Supabase’s integrated platform maps cleanly to AWS’s modular architecture:

Supabase Component	AWS Equivalent	Notes
Database	Amazon RDS / Aurora	Managed PostgreSQL with Multi-AZ, PITR, and replicas
Auth	Amazon Cognito / BetterAuth / Auth0	Centralized user management, SSO, and MFA
Storage	Amazon S3	Object storage with IAM-based access and CloudFront CDN
Functions	AWS Lambda + API Gateway	Event-driven compute for backend logic
Realtime	AppSync / EventBridge / API Gateway WebSockets	Live updates, subscriptions, or event streams
Networking & IAM	VPC + IAM roles/policies	Fine-grained control, security, and compliance boundaries

Recommended migration order:

1. Database – foundation of everything.
2. Auth – migrate user identities and sessions.
3. Storage – move file assets and update access logic.
4. Functions – redeploy backend logic.
5. Realtime and Networking – finalize integration and optimize architecture.

Always start in staging, validate each part, then proceed to production.

1. Database → Amazon RDS / Aurora#

Supabase: Managed PostgreSQL with limited scaling and shared tenancy.

AWS replacement:

• Amazon RDS (PostgreSQL) – Multi-AZ, automated backups, PITR, read replicas.
• Amazon Aurora (PostgreSQL-compatible) – high-performance clustered Postgres.
• DynamoDB – optional for NoSQL or key-value workloads.

Migration focus:

1. Export schema and data using pg_dump.
2. Restore into RDS or Aurora (same Postgres version).
3. Recreate extensions (e.g., pgcrypto, uuid-ossp).
4. Validate schema and queries in staging.
5. Reconnect applications with new connection strings.

Key advantages:

• Performance tuning and CloudWatch metrics.
• Automated backups and PITR.
• Private networking and parameter groups.
• Access to AWS analytics tools (Redshift, Athena, Glue).

2. Auth → Amazon Cognito (or Alternatives)#

Supabase: GoTrue-based Auth with email/password and OAuth integration, connected to Postgres RLS.

AWS replacement:

• Amazon Cognito for user pools, federated identity, and SSO integration.
• Alternatives like BetterAuth, Auth0, or Clerk if developer-experience is a priority.

Migration focus:

1. Export user data (emails, metadata, OAuth IDs) from auth.users.
2. Import into Cognito User Pool.
3. Configure OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, etc.).
4. Update frontend SDKs and backend JWT verification.
5. Require one-time user re-authentication after migration.

Key advantages:

• Deep IAM integration with AWS services.
• SAML/OIDC support and MFA.
• Fine-grained access control and security compliance.

3. Storage → Amazon S3#

Supabase: S3-compatible object storage managed inside Supabase, with integrated access policies and signed URLs.

AWS replacement:

• Amazon S3 for raw file storage.
• CloudFront for CDN delivery.

Migration focus:

1. Create an S3 bucket with IAM-based access.
2. Copy data using aws s3 sync or rclone.
3. Recreate folder structure and permissions.
4. Update signed URL logic to use S3 pre-signed URLs.
5. Add CloudFront for caching if needed.

Key advantages:

• Lifecycle policies, versioning, and encryption (SSE-KMS).
• Regional redundancy and cost-based storage tiers.
• Tight integration with Lambda, Athena, and Redshift.

4. Functions → AWS Lambda#

Supabase: Edge Functions built with Deno for lightweight APIs.

AWS replacement:

• AWS Lambda for event-driven functions.
• API Gateway for HTTP endpoints.

Migration focus:

• Rewrite Deno functions in Node.js, Python, or Go.
• Deploy via Lambda console, CLI, or IaC (Terraform/CDK).
• Store environment variables in Secrets Manager or Parameter Store.
• Connect Lambda to S3, DynamoDB, or EventBridge as needed.

Key advantages:

• Multiple runtimes and deployment methods.
• Native observability via CloudWatch.
• Scales automatically with demand.

5. Realtime and Events → AppSync / EventBridge#

Supabase: Realtime engine based on Postgres logical replication and WebSockets.

AWS replacements:

• AppSync – GraphQL subscriptions for live updates.
• EventBridge, SNS, or SQS – event-driven messaging.
• API Gateway WebSockets – persistent connections for custom protocols.

Migration focus:

1. Identify realtime use cases (chat, collaboration, notifications).
2. Choose appropriate AWS service per pattern.
3. Replace database-triggered realtime with event-driven design.

Key advantages:

• Decoupled architecture.
• Scalable pub/sub and async event flows.
• Integrates natively with Lambda and analytics pipelines.

6. Networking and IAM#

Supabase: Abstracted networking and simple project-level access roles.

AWS replacement: Full-control networking and IAM system for isolation and compliance.

Concept	Supabase	AWS Equivalent
Top-level entity	Organization	AWS Organization
Project	Supabase Project	AWS Account
Environment separation	Multiple projects	Separate accounts or VPCs
Access control	Role-based in app	IAM users, roles, and policies

Migration focus:

1. Deploy RDS/Aurora in private subnets (VPC).
2. Connect Lambda and EC2 via VPC endpoints.
3. Secure traffic with Security Groups and Route Tables.
4. Manage access using IAM policies and least-privilege principles.
5. Use AWS Organizations for environment isolation.

Key advantages:

• Granular control over infrastructure and networking.
• Centralized access and audit through IAM.
• Broad compliance coverage — AWS Compliance vs Supabase Security.

Validate, Cut Over, and Optimize#

Migration focus:

1. Test schema, auth, and storage in staging.
2. Monitor query performance (RDS/Aurora Performance Insights).
3. Validate endpoints and access patterns.
4. Schedule final cutover during low traffic.
5. Keep Supabase in read-only mode for rollback.

Post-migration optimization:

1. Enable PITR and automatic backups.
2. Configure CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and GuardDuty.
3. Automate deployments with CDK, Terraform, or CodePipeline.
4. Integrate data pipelines using Redshift or Athena.
5. Review IAM roles and optimize cost and storage tiers.

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Conclusion#

Migrating from Supabase to AWS isn’t just a lift-and-shift — it’s a step toward scalable, enterprise-ready infrastructure.

Move one layer at a time: Database → Auth → Storage → Functions → Realtime → Networking.

Supabase helps you build fast. AWS helps you scale safely — with advanced database management, analytics, IAM, and compliance.

When done right, the migration lays a foundation your product can grow on for years to come.