Multi-Tenant SaaS Architecture — RLS, Isolation Models & MVP Scope
Single DB + RLS vs schema-per-tenant vs DB-per-tenant. When to build multitenancy in v1 and when to wait.
Table of Contents
Multi-tenant SaaS means one deployment serves many customers (tenants) with data isolation. Founders search this when investors ask about architecture, when the first enterprise pilot demands SSO, or when a bug exposes one customer's data to another — the worst way to learn about RLS.
Three Isolation Models
Shared database + Row Level Security (Supabase/Postgres): cheapest, best for most MVPs. Schema per tenant: middle ground, migration pain. Database per tenant: enterprise, expensive ops. Start with RLS unless compliance mandates separation.
Supabase RLS in Practice
Enable RLS on every table with user data. Policies filter by org_id or auth.uid(). Even if your API has a bug, Postgres refuses unauthorized rows. Non-negotiable for B2B SaaS.
- Every table: RLS enabled
- Policies tested with two test orgs
- Service role key never in frontend
Don't Over-Build Tenancy in v1
First 10 customers can run on single-tenant MVP with manual onboarding. Add org models and RLS when you have paying teams — not before. Saves 2–4 weeks and $5k–$15k on first build.
When We Add Multitenancy
BuildMVPFast adds org models + RLS in sprint 2 after PMF signal — or in v1 if your ICP is teams from day one. Fixed quotes from $3,460 for lean SaaS; multitenancy scoped separately at /booking.
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