I’ve been using Airtable with make.com for personal automation tasks like social media posting and music promotion on platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud. Now, I’m considering the switch to a self-hosted n8n setup.
I’m curious if I should also move away from Airtable for something like Supabase. The primary reason for this is my need for a true database that allows me to write SQL queries and establish triggers instead of navigating through Airtable’s cumbersome rollup and lookup options.
However, Airtable does make it incredibly straightforward to import data and set up forms with integrated automation. Even though I have a strong software development background and am familiar with SQL, I really dislike handling server maintenance and configuration. My focus is on automating processes.
So, would migrating my data to Supabase and integrating it with n8n be beneficial? Or would that result in excessive daily maintenance and complicate the simplicity of adjusting table structures in Airtable?
Additionally, I currently use Airtable for storing file attachments in my workflows. Can Supabase manage file storage efficiently without requiring an external host?
This project is strictly for personal use and not for any commercial purpose.
honestly supabase’s file storage is pretty solid for personal stuff, no need for external hosting. but if your airtable setup is working fine why complicate things? the maintanence overhead isnt huge with supabase but still more than airtable’s zero-config approach. maybe try migrating one small workflow first?
I made a similar transition about 8 months ago and found the sweet spot is keeping both systems running parallel initially. Supabase’s SQL capabilities are definitely superior for complex data relationships, but the migration process can be more time-consuming than expected, especially with file attachments. The storage bucket setup in Supabase works well enough for personal projects, though you’ll need to configure RLS policies properly. What really sold me was the real-time subscriptions feature with n8n webhooks - creates much more responsive automations than Airtable’s polling limitations. That said, I still use Airtable for quick prototyping new workflows since their interface builder is unmatched. For your music promotion use case, the SQL triggers could be game-changing for audience segmentation and analytics.
From a maintenance perspective, Supabase actually requires less daily upkeep than you might expect. The managed database handles most backend operations automatically, and since you’re already comfortable with SQL, the learning curve is minimal. Where Supabase really shines over Airtable is in automation efficiency - direct database triggers eliminate the constant API polling that slows down workflows, especially important for time-sensitive social media posting. The file storage works seamlessly through their built-in buckets, though you’ll want to set proper size limits for personal use. My biggest revelation was how much faster complex data operations became once I could write proper joins instead of wrestling with Airtable’s relationship fields. The initial setup takes a weekend, but the ongoing maintenance is mostly just occasional dependency updates. Given your development background, you’ll probably find the SQL approach more intuitive than Airtable’s GUI limitations anyway.