Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Supabase
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moBetter | $25/mo |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/min | 500 req/minBetter |
| Target Country | South Africa | Global |
| Category | Payment Processing API | Database & Backend |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | GDPR, SOC2 |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | US-East, EU-West, AP-Southeast |
| Native Integrations | 6 listed | 7 listedBetter |
PayFast — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Only major payment gateway with POPIA-compliant ZA data residency by default
- ✓Supports EFT, credit card, Instant EFT, Mobicred, and SnapScan natively
- ✓No monthly fee — pay 2.0–3.5% per transaction only
- ✓Recurring billing API supports subscription SaaS models out of the box
Supabase — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Full PostgreSQL — no proprietary query language lock-in
- ✓Built-in Auth, Realtime, and Storage in a single project dashboard
- ✓Row Level Security (RLS) policies enforce data access at the database layer
- ✓REST and GraphQL APIs auto-generated from your schema — zero boilerplate
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Supabase?+
PayFast starts at Free plan available, which is lower than Supabase at $25/mo. Verify current pricing on each vendor's website.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Supabase list?+
PayFast additionally lists POPIA, PCI-DSS. Supabase additionally lists GDPR, SOC2. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Supabase list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
PayFast lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information. Supabase does not list POPIA as a supported compliance framework in its public documentation. Contact the vendor to confirm their position before processing South African personal information.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — PayFast or Supabase?+
Supabase has a higher documented API rate limit at 500 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Supabase support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Supabase lists hosting regions: US-East, EU-West, AP-Southeast. For data residency requirements in South Africa, confirm exact region configuration directly with each vendor.
Data last updated: 29 August 2026 — Sourced from official vendor documentation. Not independently audited. Report incorrect information
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