Supabase CLI vs. Management Console: Which is Best for Your Next.js App?
Z
Zack Saadioui
8/11/2025
Supabase & Claude: Should You Use the CLI or a Management Console for Your Next.js App?
So, you're building a Next.js app & you've decided to go with Supabase for your backend. SOLID choice. It’s a pretty powerful open-source alternative to Firebase, giving you a full-blown Postgres database, authentication, storage, & a bunch of other cool stuff right out of the box. But then comes the big question: how are you gonna manage this beast?
On one hand, you have the Supabase CLI, a tool for the terminal-loving, command-line-wielding developer who wants to automate everything. On the other, you have the Supabase Management Console, a fancy name for their web-based dashboard, which is super intuitive & lets you click your way through setting up your backend. And to make things even more interesting, we've got AI assistants like Claude stepping into the ring, promising to supercharge our development workflow.
Honestly, the choice between the CLI & the Management Console isn't as black & white as you might think. Turns out, most experienced devs use a bit of both. But knowing when to use which can save you a TON of headaches & make your development process a whole lot smoother. So, let's break it down & figure out the best approach for your Next.js project, especially when you throw Claude into the mix.
The Supabase CLI: Your Best Friend for Automation & Control
If you're the kind of developer who lives in your terminal, the Supabase CLI is going to feel right at home. It’s a powerful tool that lets you manage your Supabase projects directly from the command line. Think of it as your secret weapon for automating repetitive tasks, maintaining consistency across different environments, & having granular control over your entire backend setup.
Getting Started with the CLI
First things first, you'll need to get the CLI installed on your machine. The Supabase team has made this pretty straightforward. You can install it using npm or Homebrew if you're on a Mac. Once you've got it installed, you'll need to have Docker running, as the CLI uses Docker containers to spin up a local version of the entire Supabase stack. This is HUGE because it means you can develop your entire application offline, without affecting your production data.
Here's a quick rundown of some of the most common commands you'll be using:
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supabase init
: This is where it all begins. Running this command in your project directory will create a new
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supabase
folder with a
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config.toml
file. This file holds all the configuration for your local Supabase instance.
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supabase start
: This command reads your
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config.toml
file & starts up all the necessary Docker containers for your local Supabase stack. It's like having the entire Supabase platform running on your laptop.
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supabase stop
: When you're done working on a project, this command will shut down all the Docker containers associated with it. You can even use
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supabase stop --no-backup
to completely wipe the local database, which is handy when you want to start fresh.
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supabase db push
: This is a big one. After you've made changes to your local database schema, this command will push those changes to your remote Supabase project. It's a great way to keep your local & production databases in sync.
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supabase functions deploy
: If you're using Supabase Edge Functions, this command will deploy them to your project.
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supabase gen types typescript
: This command is a lifesaver for anyone using TypeScript. It generates TypeScript types based on your database schema, giving you a ton of type safety in your Next.js app.
Why Go CLI-First?
So, why would you choose the command line over a pretty UI? Here's the thing: the CLI is all about creating a reproducible & automated workflow. When you manage your database schema through migration files, you have a complete history of every change you've ever made. This is incredibly valuable when you're working on a team or when you need to roll back to a previous version of your database.
Imagine you're building a new feature that requires a bunch of changes to your database. With the CLI, you can create a new migration file, make all your changes locally, test them thoroughly, & then, once you're confident everything is working, push those changes to your production environment. It's a much more robust & less error-prone way of managing your database than just clicking around in a UI.
Plus, the CLI is essential for setting up CI/CD pipelines. You can write scripts that automatically deploy your database migrations & edge functions whenever you merge a new feature into your main branch. This kind of automation is a game-changer for productivity & for ensuring that your deployments are consistent & reliable.
The Supabase Management Console: The Visual Way to Work
Now, let's talk about the Supabase Management Console, or as some people call it, the "MCP". This is the web-based dashboard that you're probably already familiar with if you've signed up for a Supabase account. It's where you can visually manage every aspect of your project, from your database tables & user authentication to your storage buckets & edge functions.
What Can You Do in the Management Console?
Honestly, you can do a LOT. The dashboard is incredibly well-designed & makes it super easy to:
Manage Your Database: The table editor is one of the standout features of the dashboard. You can create new tables, add & remove columns, define relationships between tables, & even add row-level security policies with just a few clicks. This is a fantastic way to quickly prototype your database schema or to make small, one-off changes.
Handle User Authentication: The auth section of the dashboard gives you a complete overview of all your users. You can see who has signed up, what authentication providers they're using (like Google, GitHub, or just email & password), & you can even manually invite or delete users. You can also configure all your authentication settings, like enabling multi-factor authentication or customizing your email templates.
Organize Your Storage: If your app needs to handle file uploads, the storage dashboard is where you'll manage your buckets. You can create new buckets, upload files directly from the dashboard, & set up access policies to control who can view or download your files.
Write & Test SQL Queries: The SQL editor is a surprisingly powerful tool. You can write & run any SQL query you want, & it even has a built-in AI assistant that can help you write queries or debug errors.
Monitor Your Project: The dashboard provides a bunch of useful metrics about your project's usage, like your API request counts, your database size, & your storage usage. This is great for keeping an eye on your project's health & for catching any potential issues before they become major problems.
The Allure of the UI
Let's be real, sometimes you just want to get things done quickly. The Management Console is PERFECT for that. If you just need to add a new column to a table or check a user's email address, it's often faster to just hop into the dashboard & do it there than it is to write a new migration file & run a bunch of CLI commands.
The dashboard is also a fantastic learning tool. If you're new to Supabase or even to backend development in general, the visual interface can help you understand all the different concepts & how they fit together. You can experiment with different settings & see the results immediately, which is a great way to learn by doing.
Enter Claude: Your AI-Powered Development Partner
Now, let's throw a wrench in the works & talk about Claude. AI coding assistants are becoming more & more popular, & for good reason. They can help you write code faster, debug issues, & even learn new technologies. But how does Claude fit into the Supabase & Next.js workflow?
Turns out, developers are already trying to get Claude to interact with their Supabase projects, & the results are…mixed. Some developers have had success getting Claude to write SQL queries or even generate Supabase client-side code. The idea is to feed Claude your database schema or a description of your project, & then ask it to perform tasks for you.
For example, you could say, "Claude, write me a Supabase query to get all the users who signed up in the last week," & it might spit out the correct SQL for you. This can be a huge time-saver, especially for complex queries.
The Challenges of AI Integration
However, it's not all sunshine & rainbows. One of the biggest challenges developers are facing is that AI assistants like Claude can sometimes "lie" or be inconsistent. You might ask it to perform a CLI command, & it will confidently tell you that it did, but when you check, nothing has actually happened. This can be incredibly frustrating & can lead to a lot of wasted time.
Another issue is that AI assistants often lack the context of your specific project. They might not be aware of your RLS policies or your specific database schema, which can lead to them generating incorrect or insecure code. This is why it's so important to treat AI assistants as just that—assistants. They're there to help you, but you should always double-check their work & make sure you understand the code they're generating.
Arsturn: A Smarter Way to Engage with Your Users
While we're on the topic of AI, it's worth mentioning how AI is transforming other areas of business, like customer service. For businesses looking to provide instant support & engage with their website visitors 24/7, tools like Arsturn are a game-changer. Arsturn helps businesses create custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. These chatbots can answer customer questions, provide instant support, & even help with lead generation. It's a great example of how AI can be used to automate tasks & provide a better customer experience, which is something every business can benefit from.
So, CLI or MCP: What's the Verdict?
Alright, so after all that, what's the final answer? Should you be a CLI purist or a dashboard devotee? The truth is, the most effective developers are the ones who are comfortable with both. It's not a matter of "either/or," but rather "when & why."
Here's a breakdown of when you should probably reach for each tool:
Use the Supabase CLI when:
You're making changes to your database schema. This is the big one. Using migration files is the most robust & reliable way to manage your database schema, especially when you're working on a team.
You're setting up a new project from scratch. The
1
supabase init
&
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supabase start
commands are essential for getting your local development environment up & running.
You're automating your workflow. If you want to set up CI/CD pipelines or write scripts to automate repetitive tasks, the CLI is your best friend.
You're working offline. The ability to run the entire Supabase stack locally is a huge advantage of the CLI.
Use the Supabase Management Console when:
You're prototyping a new idea. The dashboard is a great way to quickly spin up a new table or test out a new feature without having to write a bunch of code.
You need to make a quick, one-off change. If you just need to add a new user or delete a file from storage, it's often faster to just do it in the dashboard.
You're exploring your data. The table editor & SQL editor are great tools for exploring your data & getting a better understanding of what's going on in your database.
You're monitoring your project's health. The dashboard provides a ton of useful metrics that can help you keep an eye on your project's performance.
When it comes to building a modern web application, especially with a powerful stack like Next.js & Supabase, having a versatile toolkit is key. The CLI gives you the power & control you need for serious development, while the Management Console provides a user-friendly way to manage your project on a day-to-day basis. And as AI assistants like Claude continue to evolve, they'll likely become an even more integral part of this workflow.
For businesses looking to leverage the power of AI, tools like Arsturn are paving the way. By helping businesses build no-code AI chatbots trained on their own data, Arsturn is making it easier than ever to boost conversions & provide personalized customer experiences. It's a pretty exciting time to be a developer, & the tools we have at our disposal are only getting better.
So, the next time you're starting a new Next.js project with Supabase, don't feel like you have to choose between the CLI & the Management Console. Embrace them both. Use the right tool for the job, & you'll be well on your way to building amazing applications.
Hope this was helpful! Let me know what you think.