“### 1. — Best overall for SQL-based RLS”
“- Native database-level security.”
“- Very little backend authorization code.”
“- Supports complex conditions and team-based access.”
“- Works with Supabase's JavaScript, Flutter, and other client libraries.”
“- Policies can be version-controlled using SQL migrations.”
“- You need to understand SQL and PostgreSQL policies.”
“- Complex relationships can make policies harder to maintain.”
“- Incorrect database grants or privileged server credentials can undermine your security.”
“### 2. — Best for simple document-based security”
“- No SQL required.”
“- Authentication integrates directly with authorization.”
“- Rules are enforced by Firebase.”
“- Supports Firestore, Realtime Database, and Cloud Storage.”
“- Good developer experience for mobile applications.”
“- Uses a proprietary rules language.”
“- Complex relational authorization is less natural.”
“- Security Rules are not equivalent to SQL RLS.”
“- Queries must satisfy the security constraints; Firebase doesn't simply filter unauthorized documents out of arbitrary queries.”
“### 3. — Easiest visual permission management”
“- Very straightforward permission model.”
“- Little SQL knowledge required.”
“- Easy to implement private user records.”
“- Supports sharing resources with specific users and teams.”
“- Permissions are granted per resource rather than expressed as general SQL predicates.”
“- Complex relational authorization can require additional application logic.”
“- You need to carefully configure table-level and row-level permissions together.”
“### 4. — Best for declarative GraphQL authorization”
“- Declarative authorization.”
“- Visual permission configuration.”
“- Excellent GraphQL integration.”
“- Supports complex relationships.”
“- Good for multi-tenant applications.”
“- More configuration than a simple Supabase setup.”
“- Requires understanding roles and session variables.”
“- Authentication is typically integrated with an external identity provider.”