Ditch the Backend: Build a Full-Stack Web App Using Only Supabase & React (No Node.js Needed!)
Ditch the Backend: Build a Full-Stack Web App Using Only Supabase & React (No Node.js Needed!)
Ditch the Backend: Build a Full-Stack Web App Using Only Supabase & React (No Node.js Needed!)
Ever felt your backend was holding you back? Tired of spinning up Express servers or babysitting APIs just to wire up simple CRUD functionality? It's 2024 — we have Supabase!
In this post, we're going rogue and building a full-stack app using only Supabase and React — no Node.js, no Express, and definitely no REST API hoedown. Supabase is the powerful open-source Firebase alternative that's taking the dev world by storm. Combine it with React, and we get a JAMstack-style full-stack workflow with real-time data, authentication, and even edge functions.
Join me as we build a fully functioning habit tracking app — complete with login/signup, data persistence, and real-time updates — without writing a single line of backend code. 🔥
🧠 Why Supabase + React?
- Authentication: Supabase offers plug-and-play email/password, OAuth, and magic links.
- Real-time DB: Built on PostgreSQL with live subscriptions via websockets.
- Storage: Easily upload, manage, and serve files.
- Edge Functions: Serverless functions you can call from the client.
This combo is lean, fast, and lets frontend devs build powerful apps with minimal overhead.
🛠️ What We'll Build
A Habit Tracker App:
- User authentication (sign up / login)
- Track daily habits (CRUD habits)
- Real-time updates across devices
- Bonus: Streak calculations via Supabase Row Level Functions
🚀 Project Setup
- Create a Supabase Project
- Add Tables to Supabase
- Set up Authentication
- Build the React Frontend
- Add Realtime Subscriptions
- Deploy to Netlify or Vercel
🧠 Conclusion: Next Steps
You can now build & ship MVPs without a backend, prototype apps faster than ever, and focus on product and user experience.
Supabase empowers frontend developers to go full-stack. And it’s not just for MVPs. As your app grows, you can add serverless functions, role-based access controls, and even integrate with native Postgres tooling. 💥
Let me know if you'd like a Part 2 where we calculate streak stats via SQL functions or handle file/image uploads in Supabase Storage.
🔗 Resources
Happy hacking. 🚀
💡 If you need this done – we offer fullstack development services!