Choose a Mode
Decide whether each product surface should operate independently or share one platform backend.
Choose the architecture before framework setup. A production app uses one backend preset at a time.
| Question | Standalone | Unified |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One template or intentionally separate products | One product delivered across web, mobile, and desktop |
| Identity and data | Owned by that template deployment | Shared through a Unified Host |
| Client backend | Supabase for client templates | Better Auth + Soar App API |
| Web backend | The template's Better Auth and database | The same services plus the App API host role |
| Operational scope | Deploy and monitor one surface | Operate a host, contracts, clients, and shared providers |
| Switching later | Requires migration | Requires migration back to independent stores |
Choose Standalone when
- You are shipping only one template.
- Products must keep separate users or data.
- A client app should connect directly to its own Supabase project.
- Cross-surface entitlement is not required.
Choose Unified when
- The same user signs into multiple surfaces.
- Profiles, todos, uploads, and entitlement must agree everywhere.
- A Web template can serve as the public backend host.
- You can configure native origins, OAuth audiences, webhooks, object storage, and push providers centrally.
Changing an existing app is a user, data, file, and subscription-identity migration—not an environment-variable toggle.
Next, confirm the chosen combination in the Compatibility Matrix.