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Tofu vs. Vercel and Supabase

Tofu manages the hosting, database and sign-in for your app. With Vercel and Supabase, you manage those services in your own accounts. Both can put the same kind of web app online; the difference is how much setup and control you want.

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The short answer

Choose Tofu if you want to ask your coding agent to put an app online, with its database and Google sign-in set up through one account. Choose Vercel and Supabase if you want direct access to each provider's settings and are comfortable connecting the app to them yourself, or with help from your agent.

Supabase already includes a database and sign-in. A separate service such as Clerk or Auth0 is optional. An app also needs no payment account, GitHub repository or analytics service unless you want those features.

Side by side

The same jobs, with different people responsible for the setup.

The jobVercel and Supabase, managed by youWith Tofu
HostingCreate a Vercel project, choose the build settings and save the app’s environment variables.Tofu detects the app’s framework, builds it and gives it its own web address with HTTPS.
DatabaseCreate a Supabase project and connect the app to it. Set up its tables and access rules.Tofu creates a managed Postgres database and connects it to the app. Tables and access rules still come from the app’s code.
Google sign-inSupabase Auth is included in Supabase. Configure a Google OAuth client and the addresses it may return to.Tofu provides the Google client. The app needs a sign-in button and code that reads the returned session. Google’s consent screen shows Tofu’s name.
Sign-in emailsFor production email, connect an SMTP sender to Supabase and verify your sending domain with that provider.Tofu supplies the sending setup, with the app’s name as the sender. Sending from your own domain adds a DNS verification step.
Your own domainBuy a name, add it to Vercel and set the DNS records at your registrar or DNS provider.Buy a name, then connect it through Tofu. Where supported, one approval lets Tofu write the DNS records; elsewhere it gives you the records to add.
Code and updatesA GitHub repository can connect to Vercel for deployments and branch previews. Set up the connection yourself.Send code through your agent or import from GitHub. Automatic GitHub updates follow one branch; each app keeps its versions and logs.
Visitor countsChoose a counter, such as Vercel Web Analytics or Google Analytics, and add it to your app if you want one.Tofu’s counter is one script line in the app, or added for a static deployment by the dashboard’s switch. It reports page views and visitors, not product analytics.
Settings and dataUse Vercel’s and Supabase’s dashboards directly, including Supabase’s SQL editor and provider-specific controls.Settings, logs and the rows of the app’s database live in Tofu’s dashboard; agent tools reach settings, status and logs, never the rows. Tofu has no SQL console.

What it costs

A paid example for one developer and one app: Vercel Pro starts at $20/month plus additional usage, and Supabase Pro starts at $25/month. Together that is $45/month before usage beyond the included allowances, extra seats or optional services. Supabase Auth is part of that Supabase plan.

You can also start with free tiers. Vercel Hobby is for personal, non-commercial use. Supabase Free has limits and pauses projects after a week of inactivity. Those may be enough for a personal prototype; the paid example above is not a required minimum.

Tofu's Pro plan is $20/mo. Hosting and its included databases are covered by the plan. The pricing page lists the Free plan and the other plans, with their current allowances. A domain name and card-processing fees are separate with either approach. A separate email sender or analytics service is a choice, rather than a mandatory subscription for every app.

Vercel's and Supabase's pricing pages and Vercel's Hobby terms were checked on October 23, 2026. These are starting prices, not a quote for your app. This comparison has no measured end-to-end timing for the DIY setup.

When Tofu fits better

  • You made an app with an AI tool and want help turning it into a working web address.
  • You want the database connection, Google client and sign-in email set up through one service.
  • You want to read status, logs and versions from the same conversation where your coding agent works.
  • You prefer one place to manage the app over learning each provider's dashboard.

When doing it yourself fits better

These are reasons to use the providers directly or choose a different host.

  • Direct access to the providers. You want Supabase’s SQL editor, your own provider accounts, or a setting Tofu does not expose.

  • More sign-in providers or your own Google brand. Supabase Auth, Clerk and Auth0 offer options beyond the Google and email sign-in Tofu configures. Your own Google client can show your app’s verified brand.

  • A preview of every branch. Vercel supports branch previews. Tofu’s automatic updates from GitHub follow one branch per app.

  • Work that runs continuously. Tofu hosts web apps that answer requests. A background worker or an always-on scheduler needs a host and plan that run that process, such as Railway or Render.

  • An existing setup. If your team already runs the app on Vercel and Supabase, much of the setup described here is already done.

On your own, step by step

  1. Create the database and sign-in service

    Create a Supabase project, apply the app's table files and access rules, and configure its sign-in methods. A Google button needs your Google client and callback settings. Supabase Auth's docs describe the supported methods.

  2. Connect the app to hosting

    Create the Vercel project, choose its framework and save the Supabase connection settings in the appropriate environment. Keep secret values on the server, then deploy the app.

  3. Connect the domain and email

    If you want your own domain, buy it and add its DNS records. For sign-in emails from your own sender, connect an email provider to Supabase and verify the sending domain.

  4. Test the full journey

    Open the live address, sign in and save something. Use a second account to check that each person can access only the records they should see. Add payments or visitor counting only if the app needs them.

With Tofu, step by step

  1. Connect your coding agent

    On the agent setup page, copy the setup prompt into the coding agent you use and approve the connection in your browser.

  2. Send the app with its database setup

    Ask your agent to put the app online with a managed database. The app's code supplies its tables and access rules. Where the Database page says so, Tofu applies its migration files before the build; otherwise the app's own build or your machine applies them. See Database.

  3. Turn on sign-in

    Ask for Google sign-in. Tofu supplies its Google client and sending setup; the app still needs code that handles sign-in. See Sign-in and email.

  4. Test and share it

    Open the live address, sign in and save something. Check access with a second account. Connect your own domain when you want one. Payments use your own Stripe account on an eligible paid plan; Payments explains that separate step.

Questions

Do Vercel and Supabase require a separate login service?

No. Supabase Auth is included in Supabase and supports email and social sign-in. Clerk or Auth0 is an optional alternative, not an extra requirement.

Can a small app cost nothing to host yourself?

Yes, if it fits the providers' free-tier limits and terms. Vercel Hobby is for personal, non-commercial use, and Supabase Free pauses inactive projects. Paid plans can be appropriate for a commercial app or one that needs more capacity.

Does Tofu also use these providers?

Tofu manages infrastructure for the app rather than asking you to open each provider account. Its Privacy Policy names the services that process data. The practical difference is who configures the services and pays their bills.

Can an app leave Tofu later?

The app's code is yours. A coding agent can download its current code to your computer; code imported from GitHub also remains in your repository. Moving a managed database to your own account is arranged with Tofu on request.

Does restoring a version also restore the database?

No. A version restore changes the app's published build. Database changes already applied remain. Restoring a database backup is a separate operation that can discard data saved after that backup.