Choosing the Right Backend Solution for Your College Event Website: Supabase or MongoDB + Render + Hono?
Planning a website for a college festival comes with its unique set of challenges, especially when considering scalability, ease of development, and resource constraints. Recently, I found myself at a crossroads while building a portal for our college fest, involving roughly 2,000 users. After extensive research and prior experience with last year’s setup, I’m torn between two popular stacks. I thought I’d share my thought process and see if anyone else has faced similar decisions.
Evaluating the Options
Option 1: Supabase – The All-in-One Solution
- Rapid setup with integrated Google Authentication
- Utilizes a relational PostgreSQL database with auto-generated APIs
- Supports real-time updates if needed
- Generous free tier offering:
- Up to 50,000 users/month
- 500MB database storage
- 5GB outbound bandwidth
- 1GB media storage
- Minimal backend maintenance, letting me focus on UI/UX
Option 2: MongoDB Atlas combined with Render and Hono Framework
- Proven reliability from last year’s implementation
- Larger bandwidth allowance (~40GB/month outbound), reducing server strain
- Flexible NoSQL data structure allowing nested data
- Customizable backend logic: API endpoints, permissions, integrations (NextAuth, JWT)
- Deployment on Render, which requires managing keep-alive settings or scheduled pings to prevent cold starts
- Slightly more complex setup and ongoing configuration
The Dilemma: Pros and Cons
Why I’m leaning Towards Supabase
- Streamlined developer experience; easy to integrate with minimal configuration
- Google Login simplifies user management
- Less concern over infrastructure or server management
- Ideal for a quick, stable deployment especially during a busy event period
- Fits well with mainly textual/JSON data, with images stored via URLs
Why I’m inclined Towards MongoDB + Render + Hono
- Confirmed stability from past experience; no surprises
- Much higher free bandwidth quota minimizes risks of hitting limits
- Full control over backend endpoints, security, and logic
- Better suited for scaling, handling diverse data or future expansion
- Greater flexibility for complex data relationships and files
The Core Challenge
Supabase offers a smooth, plug-and-play experience tailored for rapid deployment—great for time-sensitive projects. However, its bandwidth limit might be a concern if traffic exceeds expectations
