Supabase MCP Server Review: AI-Powered Database Management That Actually Works

What Is the Supabase MCP Server?

The Supabase MCP Server is the official Model Context Protocol server built by Supabase that connects your entire backend -- database, auth, storage, edge functions -- directly to AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code Copilot. Instead of switching between your editor, the Supabase dashboard, and a SQL client, you just tell your AI what you need and it handles the rest.

We have been using it across three projects for the past several weeks. The short version: it works remarkably well for development workflows, and it changed how we think about backend management entirely.

The server launched in April 2025 and has racked up over 832,000 downloads since. Supabase shipped a cloud-hosted remote version in October 2025 that uses OAuth 2.1, eliminating the need for API keys entirely. As of March 2026, it is at version 0.7.0 with typed tool outputs and improved stability.

The core idea is simple but powerful: instead of your AI assistant only being able to write code, it can now execute that code against your actual Supabase project. Create tables, run queries, deploy edge functions, pull logs, generate TypeScript types -- all through natural language commands in your editor.

Before the official server, community developer Matt Arnold built an early implementation. That project was deprecated once Supabase shipped the official package, and rightly so -- the official version is significantly more comprehensive.

Key Features: 20+ Tools Across 8 Groups

What sets the Supabase MCP Server apart from every other database MCP is scope. Most competitors give you SQL access and call it a day. Supabase gives you the entire backend management plane. Here is the breakdown.

The v0.7.0 release (March 2026) added typed tool outputs via exported Zod schemas and a verbose flag for list_tables. It also exports createToolSchemas() for direct integration with the Vercel AI SDK, which is a smart move for the ecosystem.

How to Set Up the Supabase MCP Server

There are two ways to connect: the remote OAuth server (recommended) and the local npx server. We tested both extensively. The remote server is easier to set up and more stable. The local server gives you more control but requires managing API keys.

Method 1: Remote Server (Recommended)

The remote server at https://mcp.supabase.com/mcp uses OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration. No API keys, no environment variables. You authenticate through your browser and the server handles token refresh automatically.

You can scope it to a single project by appending ?project_ref=YOUR_REF to the URL. You can also force read-only mode with ?read_only=true. We strongly recommend using both parameters for safety.

Method 2: Local NPX Server

Runs on your machine via npx @supabase/mcp-server-supabase and communicates over stdin/stdout. Requires your SUPABASE_URL and SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY as environment variables. More configuration, but useful if you need offline access or have strict network policies.

Claude Desktop Configuration

Open your Claude Desktop config file. On macOS it is at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. On Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "supabase": {
      "url": "https://mcp.supabase.com/sse"
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "supabase": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@supabase/mcp-server-supabase"],
      "env": {
        "SUPABASE_URL": "https://your-project.supabase.co",
        "SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY": "your-service-role-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

After saving, fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. Look for the hammer icon in the input area to confirm the tools loaded.

Cursor Setup

Open Cursor Settings, navigate to the MCP configuration section, and add a new server with the remote URL https://mcp.supabase.com/sse. Alternatively, add your project ref and API key for the local connection. Cursor handles the OAuth flow in a browser popup.

Claude Code (CLI) Setup

# Remote (OAuth -- recommended)
claude mcp add supabase --transport http https://mcp.supabase.com/mcp

# With project scoping + read-only
claude mcp add supabase --transport http "https://mcp.supabase.com/mcp?project_ref=YOUR_REF&read_only=true"

# Local NPX server
claude mcp add supabase -- npx -y @supabase/mcp-server-supabase

The CLI integration is especially powerful. Claude Code already has full filesystem and terminal access. Adding Supabase MCP gives it complete backend control too. We used this combination to scaffold an entire Next.js app with database schema, RLS policies, and edge functions in a single session.

Pricing: What the MCP Server Actually Costs

The MCP server itself is free. Zero cost. Open source under Apache 2.0. The costs come from the Supabase platform underneath. Here is the honest breakdown of what you actually need.

Our take: the free tier is surprisingly generous for MCP development work. You get full SQL execution, auth management, edge function deployment, TypeScript type generation, and debugging tools at zero cost. The only major feature locked behind the paywall is branching, which is unfortunately the single best safety feature for database development.

If you are doing serious development, $25/month for Pro is worth it just for branching alone. Being able to test schema changes on a branch before merging to production removes the fear factor from AI-generated migrations entirely.

Pros and Cons

Alternatives: How Supabase MCP Stacks Up

We tested Supabase MCP against the three most common alternatives. The comparison is not even close in terms of feature breadth, but each competitor has a niche where it wins.

Neon MCP: The Closest Competitor

Neon MCP is the most direct competitor with 20+ tools, OAuth authentication, and excellent branching. Their copy-on-write branching is actually faster than Supabase's. Over 80% of Neon databases are created by AI agents, not humans -- they are deeply committed to this use case.

But Neon is database-only. No auth, no storage, no edge functions, no TypeScript types. If all you need is a serverless Postgres with great branching, Neon wins. If you need a full backend, Supabase wins by default.

Postgres MCP: The Minimal Option

Anthropic's official Postgres MCP server is read-only. That is it. Schema inspection and SELECT queries. No writes, no auth, no storage. Useful for data exploration against any Postgres database, but it is not in the same league as Supabase MCP for development workflows.

Firebase: The Google Play

Firebase has been adding MCP capabilities but remains primarily a NoSQL platform (Firestore). They added PostgreSQL support via Data Connect, but it is newer and less mature. If you are already in the Google Cloud ecosystem, Firebase makes sense. For everyone else, Supabase offers a more open, Postgres-native experience with better MCP tooling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

The Supabase MCP Server is the most comprehensive backend MCP server available today. That is not hyperbole. No other single MCP server gives you database management, auth, storage, edge functions, branching, TypeScript types, and debugging in one package. We tested the alternatives, and nothing comes close in breadth.

The developer experience is genuinely good. The remote OAuth setup takes under 60 seconds. The tools work reliably across Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Claude Code. Being able to describe a database change in English and have it applied as a tracked migration -- with TypeScript types regenerated automatically -- is the kind of workflow that makes you not want to go back.

But we have to be honest about the limitations. The RLS bypass is a real security concern. The all-or-nothing OAuth scoping is frustrating. Branching being locked behind a paywall is a poor decision for developer safety. And the pre-1.0 status means you should expect occasional breaking changes.

Our recommendation: if you are building on Supabase (or considering it), the MCP server is a must-install. Use the remote OAuth connection, scope it to a development project, enable read-only mode unless you specifically need writes, and never point it at production. For side projects and prototyping, the free tier is more than enough. For serious development with schema branching, budget $25/month for Pro.

This is the best backend MCP server we have tested. It is not perfect, but it is ahead of everything else by a significant margin.

This review was written by Wayne MacDonald and is based on hands-on testing of the Supabase MCP Server v0.7.0 across Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Claude Code. Supabase MCP Server is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Supabase platform pricing is accurate as of March 2026. We are not affiliated with Supabase.