Database · facts read November 7, 2026
Firebase
Google's app backend: Firestore document database, auth, storage and push messaging. A mobile-first backend with offline sync and a free plan that covers a small app.
- Free plan
- Spark (free): Firestore 1 GiB stored, 50,000 reads and 20,000 writes per day; Authentication up to 50,000 MAU.
- Paid from
- Blaze: pay as you go, with the Spark allowance included; eligible new accounts get $300 credit.
- Monthly cost at 1,000 users
- $0/month Spark covers 50,000 Firestore reads and 20,000 writes a day; heavy readers move to Blaze, pay as you go.
- Free plan allows commercial use
- Not stated
- Open source
- No
- Self-hostable
- No
Source: Firebase pricing, read November 7, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you commit.
Best for
- Mobile apps that need offline sync
- Push notifications
- Teams that want no SQL
Watch out for
- Firestore isn't SQL; reporting and joins are harder than in Postgres.
- The free Spark plan caps Firestore at 50,000 reads and 20,000 writes a day.
How Cuely scores Firebase
The published scores, from −3 to +3, that decide when Cuely picks it. Method
- +2native iOS or Android app. Native iOS and Android SDKs with offline sync.
- +2realtime features. Live listeners on documents.
- +2fewer vendors. Database, auth, storage and push from one console.
- −1sells to businesses (organizations, roles, SSO). Multi-tenant reporting is harder without SQL.
- −2prefers open source or self-hosting. Proprietary and not self-hostable.
Firebase alternatives
Recipes with Firebase
- Phone app with in-app subscriptions · an alternative