VektorIndex
Independent directory. VektorIndex is not affiliated with or sponsored by any listed vendor. All specifications are sourced from official vendor documentation.

Head-to-Head Specification Audit

Supabase vs PayFast

SaaS Developers · Global

Database & Backend

Supabase

SaaS Developers · Global

Visit Supabase

Payment Processing API

PayFast

E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa

Visit PayFast

Specification Matrix

MetricSupabasePayFast
Starting Price$25/moCustomBetter
API Rate Limit500 req/minBetter60 req/min
Target CountryGlobalSouth Africa
CategoryDatabase & BackendPayment Processing API
ComplianceGDPR, SOC2, HIPAAPOPIA, PCI-DSS
Hosting RegionsUS-East, EU-West, AP-SoutheastZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg
Native Integrations7 listedBetter6 listed

Supabase — Key Specs

  • 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

PayFast — Key Specs

  • 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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cheaper, Supabase or PayFast?+

PayFast starts at $0/mo, which is lower than Supabase at $25/mo.

Which tool is better for compliance — Supabase or PayFast?+

Supabase additionally supports GDPR, SOC2, HIPAA. PayFast additionally supports POPIA, PCI-DSS.

Is Supabase or PayFast compliant with South Africa's POPIA?+

PayFast supports POPIA compliance. Supabase does not list POPIA as a supported framework.

Which has a higher API rate limit — Supabase or PayFast?+

Supabase has a higher API rate limit at 500 requests per minute. Supabase: 500 req/min. PayFast: 60 req/min.

Which tool is better suited for Global?+

Supabase is evaluated for SaaS Developers in Global with hosting regions: US-East, EU-West, AP-Southeast. PayFast has hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. For data residency in Global, check each vendor's data processing agreements.

Data last verified: 11 June 2026