Firebase
Google's platform for applications: authentication, Firestore database, hosting, file storage, functions and messaging. Free Spark plan; Blaze plan pay-as-you-go.
For a small application, a SQLite or Postgres database with simple authentication and file storage is enough, and PocketBase already does all that in a single executable. What Firebase brings: turnkey authentication, real-time sync with offline mode on mobile, push notifications and automatic scaling. Replaceable for a classic website or web app; less so for a real-time mobile app.
What you lose
- Turnkey authentication
- Real-time sync with offline mode on mobile
- Push notifications
- Automatic scaling
Existing alternatives to Firebase
- PocketBaseOpen source
Free backend (MIT) in a single executable: SQLite database, authentication, file storage, API and real time.
The prompt to build it yourself
Build me a small self-hosted backend for a web application, to replace Firebase. Stack: Node, TypeScript, SQLite, hosted on my small server. To do: - Authentication by email and password (argon2), sessions by secure cookie, reset by email. - REST API on my collections with per-user access rules, validated by a schema. - Subscription to real-time changes through Server-Sent Events. - File storage on disk with size and type limits. - Daily database backup and a tested restore procedure. - Tests on the access rules; README with the update procedure. Out of scope: push notifications, offline on mobile, serverless functions, social-network authentication.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Firebase be replaced by a custom-built tool?
- casevibecode verdict: Partly replaceable. For a small application, a SQLite or Postgres database with simple authentication and file storage is enough, and PocketBase already does all that in a single executable. What Firebase brings: turnkey authentication, real-time sync with offline mode on mobile, push notifications and automatic scaling. Replaceable for a classic website or web app; less so for a real-time mobile app.
- What is Firebase used for?
- Google's platform for applications: authentication, Firestore database, hosting, file storage, functions and messaging. Free Spark plan; Blaze plan pay-as-you-go.
- What alternatives to Firebase already exist?
- PocketBase (open source). Options to compare before committing to a custom build.
Community feedback
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