How to iterate on multiple app ideas without breaking the bank?
Hi
I'm a solo developer who want to build and ship apps quickly. My goal is to develop and test one new app idea per week to see what sticks and potentially grows into a real business.
I love Supabase and want to use it for all my projects, but I'm hitting a cost wall:
* Free tier: 2 projects max per organization
* Pro plan: $25/month + $10/month per additional project
* My reality: I want to test 4-6+ app ideas, with no guarantee any will generate revenue
This means I'd need to pay $45-65/month just to experiment, which is tough when you're bootstrapping and most ideas might not work out.
Option 1: Multiple free accounts
* Technically possible but feels like abusing the system
* Not ethical and probably against ToS
* Migration nightmare if an app takes off (anonymous auth + different project URLs)
Option 2: Multi-tenant single project
* Prefix all tables (
* Use metadata in auth to distinguish apps
* Keep everything in one $25/month Pro project
1. Is the multi-tenant approach viable? Has anyone successfully run multiple apps from a single Supabase project?
2. What challenges should I expect? (Auth isolation, database management, etc.)
3. Any alternative strategies for cost-effective rapid prototyping with Supabase?
4. Migration path: If one app in a multi-tenant setup takes off, how hard is it to extract it to its own project?
What I'm NOT asking for
* Suggestions to use other services (I love Supabase's DX)
* "Just pay for Pro" (I will when revenue justifies it)
I'm looking for ethical, sustainable approaches that let me iterate quickly while respecting Supabase's business model.
Anyone been in a similar situation? What worked for you?
Thanks for any insights!
I'm a solo developer who want to build and ship apps quickly. My goal is to develop and test one new app idea per week to see what sticks and potentially grows into a real business.
The Problem
I love Supabase and want to use it for all my projects, but I'm hitting a cost wall:
* Free tier: 2 projects max per organization
* Pro plan: $25/month + $10/month per additional project
* My reality: I want to test 4-6+ app ideas, with no guarantee any will generate revenue
This means I'd need to pay $45-65/month just to experiment, which is tough when you're bootstrapping and most ideas might not work out.
Current "Solutions" (and their problems)
Option 1: Multiple free accounts
* Technically possible but feels like abusing the system
* Not ethical and probably against ToS
* Migration nightmare if an app takes off (anonymous auth + different project URLs)
Option 2: Multi-tenant single project
* Prefix all tables (
app1_profilesapp2_profiles* Use metadata in auth to distinguish apps
* Keep everything in one $25/month Pro project
My Questions
1. Is the multi-tenant approach viable? Has anyone successfully run multiple apps from a single Supabase project?
2. What challenges should I expect? (Auth isolation, database management, etc.)
3. Any alternative strategies for cost-effective rapid prototyping with Supabase?
4. Migration path: If one app in a multi-tenant setup takes off, how hard is it to extract it to its own project?
What I'm NOT asking for 
* Suggestions to use other services (I love Supabase's DX)
* "Just pay for Pro" (I will when revenue justifies it)
I'm looking for ethical, sustainable approaches that let me iterate quickly while respecting Supabase's business model.
Anyone been in a similar situation? What worked for you?
Thanks for any insights!
