Does Flask Work With Supabase?
Flask and Supabase work seamlessly together—Supabase provides the backend infrastructure (PostgreSQL, auth, realtime) while Flask handles your web application logic.
Quick Facts
How Flask Works With Supabase
Flask is a lightweight WSGI framework that pairs naturally with Supabase because you're simply making HTTP requests from your Flask app to Supabase's REST API or using the Python client library. There's no tight coupling—you install the `supabase-py` client, initialize it with your project URL and API key, and use it like any other database/auth service. Flask handles routing and request processing, while Supabase handles data persistence, user authentication, and realtime subscriptions. The developer experience is straightforward: define your Flask routes, use the Supabase client to query PostgreSQL or manage auth, and return responses. This is ideal for MVPs and small-to-medium projects where you don't need a heavy framework. The architecture is clean because Flask remains agnostic to your backend storage—you could swap Supabase for another database without changing Flask itself.
Best Use Cases
Quick Setup
pip install flask supabase-py python-dotenvfrom flask import Flask, jsonify, request
from supabase import create_client, Client
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()
app = Flask(__name__)
url = os.getenv("SUPABASE_URL")
key = os.getenv("SUPABASE_SERVICE_KEY")
supabase: Client = create_client(url, key)
@app.route("/todos", methods=["GET"])
def get_todos():
response = supabase.table("todos").select("*").execute()
return jsonify(response.data)
@app.route("/todos", methods=["POST"])
def create_todo():
data = request.json
response = supabase.table("todos").insert(data).execute()
return jsonify(response.data), 201
if __name__ == "__main__":
app.run(debug=True)Known Issues & Gotchas
Supabase API key exposure—if you use the anon key client-side, Row Level Security must be properly configured or anyone can access your data
Fix: Always use the service_role key server-side in Flask. Never expose it to the browser. Use the anon key only in client-side code with strict RLS policies in place.
Real-time subscriptions via WebSockets require separate client-side setup—Flask alone won't handle Supabase realtime on the server
Fix: Use Supabase's JavaScript client on the frontend for realtime features, or poll the REST API from Flask if you need server-side updates.
Supabase's Python client library is less mature than the JavaScript SDK, with fewer examples in documentation
Fix: Reference the official Python docs and REST API documentation. Many Flask developers use the REST API directly via `requests` library for more control.
Alternatives
- •FastAPI + Supabase—more modern async support with better performance for high-concurrency apps
- •Django + PostgreSQL—heavier framework with built-in ORM, better for large monolithic apps where you control the database
- •Express.js + Supabase—if you prefer JavaScript/Node.js with excellent Supabase client library support
Resources
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