DevVersus

Supabase Realtime vs Liveblocks(2026)

Supabase Realtime is better for teams that need integrated with supabase db. Liveblocks is the stronger choice if purpose-built for collaboration ux. Supabase Realtime is freemium (from $25/month (included in Supabase)) and Liveblocks is freemium (from $49/month).

Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.

By Bikram Nath

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Supabase Realtime logo

Supabase Realtime

freemium

Supabase Realtime broadcasts Postgres database changes over WebSockets, with support for broadcast and presence channels.

Starting at $25/month (included in Supabase)

Visit Supabase Realtime
Liveblocks logo

Liveblocks

freemium

Liveblocks provides APIs and SDKs for building collaborative features like multiplayer cursors, live comments, and co-editing.

Starting at $49/month

Visit Liveblocks

How Do Supabase Realtime and Liveblocks Compare on Features?

FeatureSupabase RealtimeLiveblocks
Pricing modelfreemiumfreemium
Starting price$25/month (included in Supabase)$49/month
Postgres CDC✓—
Broadcast channels✓—
Presence✓✓
Row-level security filters✓—
Client SDKs✓—
Scale to millions✓—
Multiplayer cursors—✓
Collaborative text editing—✓
Comments—✓
Notifications—✓
CRDT-based sync—✓

Supabase Realtime Pros and Cons vs Liveblocks

S

Supabase Realtime

+Integrated with Supabase DB
+Postgres RLS on realtime events
+Good free tier
+Simple client SDK
−Tied to Supabase
−Less flexible than Ably for non-Postgres use cases
L

Liveblocks

+Purpose-built for collaboration UX
+Prebuilt UI components
+CRDT sync
+Good docs
−Overkill if you just need basic WebSockets
−Expensive for simple use cases
−Collaborative-specific

Should You Use Supabase Realtime or Liveblocks?

For most teams, Supabase Realtime is the better default: it offers integrated with supabase db and is freemium (from $25/month (included in Supabase)). Choose Liveblocks instead if purpose-built for collaboration ux matters more than tied to supabase. There is no universal winner — the right pick depends on your budget, team size, and whether you value integrated with supabase db or purpose-built for collaboration ux more.

Choose Supabase Realtime if…

  • •Integrated with Supabase DB
  • •Postgres RLS on realtime events
  • •Good free tier

Choose Liveblocks if…

  • •Purpose-built for collaboration UX
  • •Prebuilt UI components
  • •CRDT sync

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