Choosing the Right Backend Solution for a College Event Website: Supabase vs. MongoDB + Render + Hono

Planning a website for a college festival involves many decisions, especially when it comes to selecting the most suitable backend infrastructure. After building last year’s portal using MongoDB, I find myself at a crossroads for this year’s project, which aims to serve approximately 2,000 users. With both options presenting compelling advantages and some challenges, I’d like to share my dilemma and seek your insights.

Understanding the Two Options

Option 1: Supabase – An All-in-One Backend Platform

• Rapid setup with built-in Google Authentication
• Uses a relational PostgreSQL database with auto-generated APIs and optional real-time capabilities
• Generous free tier offering up to 50,000 monthly users, 500MB database storage, 5GB outbound bandwidth, and 1GB media storage
• Minimal maintenance, focusing primarily on front-end design and user experience

Pros:
– Seamless integration and quick deployment, ideal for fast-paced projects
– Simplifies backend management, reducing development overhead
– Reliable and less prone to deployment inconsistencies

Cons:
– Bandwidth limits might be restrictive if traffic suddenly spikes
– Less control over the backend logic compared to custom solutions

Option 2: MongoDB Atlas combined with Render and Hono – A Flexible DIY Stack

• Proven performance from last year’s use
• Features larger bandwidth provisions (up to 40GB/month outbound)
• NoSQL data model offers flexible, nested data structures
• Custom API development with Hono, deployed on Render, enabling precise control over endpoints and permissions
• Supports various authentication methods, such as NextAuth or JWT

Pros:
– Greater bandwidth and control, reducing the chance of hitting usage caps
– Easier to adapt as project complexity grows with more data types or features

Cons:
– Requires additional configuration, such as setting up keep-alive or cron jobs to prevent cold starts
– More manual setup and maintenance, including auth and monitoring

The Core Dilemma

While Supabase offers a “plug-and-play” experience perfect for rapid development, its bandwidth ceiling raises concerns, particularly if unforeseen traffic spikes occur. Conversely, MongoDB + Render + Hono provides robustness and customization but entails more initial setup and ongoing management.

Current Data Storage Needs

For the upcoming event, I plan to store:
– User details: email, name, password, avatar (possibly via Google Auth)
– Game entries: JSON