head to head · open source
Supabase vs Hercules
Supabase has 109,900 GitHub stars, 14,114 forks, 1,128 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Hercules has 1,158 stars, 189 forks, 39 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Supabase leads on adoption by 9,391% (109,900 vs 1,158 stars). Supabase is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Hercules is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. Supabase has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, Hercules 16%. Supabase was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Supabase | Hercules | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 110K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-08-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 14K | ⑂ 189 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Supabase if
- You weight community size — 110K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Hercules if
- You want the Hercules feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Hercules fits your workflow better
About Supabase
Supabase is an open source, Apache 2.0 licensed Postgres development platform that bundles a dedicated Postgres database with authentication, auto generated APIs, realtime subscriptions, file storage, and edge functions for developers building web, mobile, and AI applications.
read the full Supabase overview →
About Hercules
Hercules is an open source, AGPL 3.0 testing agent that turns plain Gherkin feature files into automated end to end UI, API, security, accessibility and visual tests for QA engineers, developers and platform teams who need browser level coverage without writing or maintaining test code.
read the full Hercules overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Supabase or Hercules more popular?
Supabase has 109,900 GitHub stars and Hercules has 1,158. Supabase has the larger community by that measure.
Are Supabase and Hercules free?
Both are open source. Supabase is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Hercules under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Supabase and Hercules?
Supabase is written in TypeScript and Hercules in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Supabase or Hercules?
Choose Supabase if you want the larger community (109,900 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Hercules if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.