The most complete backend for mobile apps, with offline sync and realtime built in, but it is a NoSQL document database tied to Google, and per-read pricing can surprise you at scale.
What it is
Firebase is Google's backend for web and mobile apps: Cloud Firestore (a NoSQL document database with realtime listeners and offline sync), Authentication, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, Hosting and App Hosting, plus Cloud Messaging, Crashlytics, Analytics and Remote Config at no cost. Data Connect adds a PostgreSQL option through Cloud SQL (3-month no-cost trial, then from $9.37 a month). The no-cost Spark plan includes Firestore with 1 GiB stored, 50,000 reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes a day and 10 GiB of egress a month, authentication for 50,000 monthly active users, and Hosting with 10 GB stored and 360 MB of transfer a day. Cloud Functions and App Hosting need the pay-as-you-go Blaze plan, which keeps the Spark allowances and bills usage above them (functions: 2 million invocations a month free, then $0.40 per million); eligible new accounts get $300 in Google Cloud credit. Checked on firebase.google.com November 13, 2026.
Best for
- Mobile apps that need offline sync and push notifications
- Realtime apps such as chat and live dashboards
- Teams already on Google Cloud
What we like
- Offline sync and realtime listeners built into the mobile and web SDKs
- Widest set of app services in one console: auth, messaging, crash reports, analytics
- Generous no-cost allowances on the Spark plan
What to watch
- NoSQL: no joins or SQL, so moving from Supabase means remodeling your tables
- Billed per document read and write, so chatty listeners can run up costs at scale
- Strong lock-in: proprietary APIs and no self-hosting (only local emulators)
- Blaze has budget alerts but no hard spending cap
Where Firebase ranks
Alternatives and head-to-heads
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