Coming from Supabase

Keel speaks the same HTTP and WebSocket APIs as Supabase, so an app built on Supabase usually moves to Keel by changing two values: the API URL and the anon key. This page shows what stays the same, what's different, and the steps to move a live project, data and users included.

- const supabase = createClient('https://abcd1234.supabase.co', SUPABASE_ANON_KEY)
+ const supabase = createClient('http://192.168.1.20:8000/my-app', KEEL_ANON_KEY)

What stays the same

• Your client code. @supabase/supabase-js v2 and the Flutter, Swift, Kotlin and Python clients call the same endpoints. Queries, rpc(), auth, storage, realtime channels and functions.invoke() work unchanged.
• Your SQL. Each project is a Postgres 17 database with the same auth, storage and realtime schemas, the same roles (anon, authenticated, service_role) and the same helpers (auth.uid(), auth.jwt(), storage.foldername()). Row level security policies carry over as they are.
• Your migrations and functions folder. Keep supabase/migrations and supabase/functions in your repository. Apply migrations with psql and deploy functions with ./keel functions deploy, which reads the same folder layout.
• Scheduled jobs and webhooks. cron.schedule, net.http_post and Database Webhooks triggers use the same functions as on Supabase. See Scheduled jobs and Database webhooks.
• Extensions you're likely to use. pgvector, PostGIS and the common contrib extensions are installed. See Extensions.

What's different

	Supabase	Keel
API URL	One host per project: https://<ref>.supabase.co	One address for all projects, with the project in the path: http://<server>:8000/<project>
Where it runs	Supabase's cloud	Your own machine, with Docker. No scaling, no edge network.
Dashboard	Supabase Studio, with organizations and team roles	Keel Studio. Every Studio account is a full admin of every project.
API keys	JWT keys, or the newer publishable and secret keys	JWT anon and service role keys, rolled in Studio or with ./keel keys roll (API keys)
Row level security	On for tables made in the dashboard	On for every new table in public, including ones made with SQL
Email	A built-in mail service with low sending limits	No email until you add your own SMTP server (Email setup)
Backups	Managed by Supabase, depending on your plan	Nightly project backups and encrypted full backups to your own S3 bucket, no point-in-time recovery (Backups)
CLI	supabase link, db push, functions deploy	The keel command on the server, or psql and the Keel image from your computer

The compatibility table goes through every feature, area by area, and lists what Keel doesn't have yet, such as GraphQL, Vault, the S3 protocol, SAML SSO and some OAuth providers.

Move a project

1. Install Keel with the Quickstart and create an empty project in Studio (New project in the project switcher).
2. Copy the project over. The importer copies your schemas, data, policies, users (their passwords keep working), storage buckets and files, from Studio (Project settings > Move from Supabase) or with ./keel import-supabase. Supabase is only read.
3. Finish what the importer can't copy: deploy your edge functions and set their secrets, set up sign-in providers, the mail server and SMS under Users > Sign-in settings, and schedule your cron jobs again. After the import has the details.
4. Point your app at Keel with the project's API URL and anon key from Connect.
5. Tell your users to sign in again. Sessions don't carry over; passwords and linked provider accounts do.

Try it side by side first

The importer never changes your Supabase project, so you can import, test your app against Keel, and import again into a fresh project when you're ready to switch. A web page can even talk to both while you migrate: see Several projects in one app.

Coding agents

Agents that know Supabase can build on Keel too. The prompt in Build with AI agents tells them your server's address and the few ways Keel differs.

Next steps

Migrate from SupabaseRun the importer, in Studio or from the command line.Supabase compatibilityEvery feature, what works, what differs and what's missing.Connecting your appAPI URL, keys and client libraries.