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Serge Dahdouh - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at Les Roches International School of Hotel Management
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
An application development solution that has a lot of services like storage, Firestore, and push notifications
Pros and Cons
  • "Google Firebase has a lot of services like storage, Firestore, and push notifications."
  • "Google Firebase's app testing feature for Android, where you can upload your APK, needs improvement because it's not working very well."

What is most valuable?

I use Google Firebase mainly for applications. Google Firebase has competitors like Supabase and PostgreSQL. Google Firebase has a lot of services like storage, Firestore, and push notifications. The solution also has a feature where you can change the parameters online. Other products in the market cannot compare with the many services Google Firebase provides for application development.

Also, the solution's deployment for the App Store is very easy with the swing Firebase. Mostly, 90% of people use Google Firebase because of its availability in many places. The solution is very fast, scalable, and dynamic. If you have a lot of clients, the solution will automatically scale up to the number of your clients.

What needs improvement?

Google Firebase's app testing feature for Android, where you can upload your APK, needs improvement because it's not working very well. It's not very easy because you can upload one version of your app and test it with different phones. Google needs to improve it because I tried it multiple times and found that manually testing the app works better and much faster.


Google should find a way to reduce the solution's read and write. For example, if you have a list of 100 clients for only one click, and if they read, it will be 100 reads, which is expensive. We could use a cache method, but it's still expensive. So Google should reduce the cost a bit. Like Supabase, Google Firebase can have SQL models so that we can have relational and non-relational databases at the same time. A relational database could be much cheaper in some cases.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Google Firebase since 2018.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Google Firebase is a very stable solution.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Google Firebase is a scalable solution.

How was the initial setup?

Everyone uses Google Firebase because it is very easy to set up, run, and maintain. Even if you don't have a lot of experience in coding or the back end, you could deploy the solution in a very short time.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Google Firebase is an expensive solution.

What other advice do I have?

Google Firebase is very fast and easy to use, but it's expensive. The solution is expensive because of the read-and-write feature. So, if you have a lot of clients and don't know how to optimize it in your app, it will cost you a lot. The solution is easy to set up, but you have to know how to read and write.

Google Firebase has a lot of services like push notifications and Firestore. For example, I once used AWS Amplify, and it's not easy to deploy. Apart from Supabase, which arrived last year in the market, Google Firebase does not have a lot of alternatives. However, the downside is that it's expensive. The solution has a special calculator, but it still is unclear how much it charges us for read and write functions.

Overall, I rate Google Firebase an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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AnthonyAbah - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Director at NAFDAC
Real User
Top 5
Excellent documentation, reliable, and inexpensive
Pros and Cons
  • "It's stable."
  • "They have discontinued some very valuable features, including the Firebase UI that I used to log in."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use the solution for various cloud functions. I build applications on it. I also use the Firestore and the database. I use authentication as well. 

What is most valuable?

The authentification is very valuable to me. 

There are several server functions that are valuable to my use case. 

It's easy to use.

The documentation is very extensive. 

It's stable. 

The cost is reasonable. 

What needs improvement?

They have discontinued some very valuable features, including the Firebase UI that I used to log in. They are no longer supporting that feature for authentication.

The cloud functionality can always be better. We cannot, for example, use it outside Google. 

There are some features that are only available online. There aren't very many things you can do in your local environment. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and reliable. I'd rate the stability out of ten. Out of all of the platforms I have used, it's the best. I'd rate it 9.5 out of ten for stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't have much experience with scaling. My understanding is it can only be used in Google servers and within the Google environment, so you can't scale beyond Google. 

I'm not sure how many people in my organization use it. 

The solution would be a fit for small or medium-sized companies thanks to the ease of development. 

How are customer service and support?

I've never really used technical support. However, they do provide lots of great documentation that pretty much answers all of my questions. 

How was the initial setup?

The deployment process is very straightforward. It's easy. I wouldn't call it complex at all. What I deploy normally doesn't take much time. I don't deploy large blocks of software. I can deploy things in ten minutes or so. 

What was our ROI?

The ROI is okay. If we deploy an application and it is something that generates an income, that isn't really related to Firebase. However, the cost is very low. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is reasonable. They have general plans. You choose what you need. I haven't really used anything above the free plan. The little bit of money I have to pay is fine. The last amount I paid was about $10 a month. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I considered working with Amazon. However, the process was too tedious. I moved over to Google as it was more straightforward and easy to learn. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm an end-user. 

I am using the latest version of the solution. 

I highly recommend the solution to anyone who wants to start working in the cloud. The time to market is very short, and the ease of use is great. It offers great resources. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten overall.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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December 2024
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Pranay Koley - PeerSpot reviewer
Junior Software Developer at Weavers Web Solutions Private Limited
Real User
Top 20
Seamless cloud database integration enhances data management and a highly responsive support team
Pros and Cons
  • "The access to Firestore is very easy."
  • "As we are a small team, we have only utilized some features, however, all those features have been very useful, and there is no problem."

What is our primary use case?

We use Firebase primarily for storing user data, authentication data, and many more - like Apple authentication data, Google authentication data, Facebook authentication data, and storage of any authentication data in Firestore. 

We also use it for chat modules such as one-to-one or real-time chat using the real-time database.

How has it helped my organization?

Firebase has been very useful to us. We have been using Firebase for three years, and it has been beneficial as we can store user data efficiently. Additionally, the access to Firestore is very easy.

What is most valuable?

Firebase provides valuable features in the Flutter framework. We can use Firebase through the SDK. The provider like Firebase gives access to their database through Stream or FutureBuilder. The integration with Flutter is seamless, making it very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

There are many features in Firebase that we have not used. As we are a small team, we have only utilized some features, however, all those features have been very useful, and there is no problem.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Firebase for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is excellent, given that Firebase is a Google product.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Google is highly responsive. We once encountered an incident where a developer mistakenly deleted the database. We emailed Google's support team, and they promptly recovered the full database for us.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

What other advice do I have?

I recommend Firebase to everyone looking to use any cloud database. It is worth using and very useful.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Azmir Uddin Alif - PeerSpot reviewer
Full-stack Developer at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Real-time database is a good feature for me and implementation is easy
Pros and Cons
  • "If I were to make a chatting application I would use this product because it is easy to learn and implement."
  • "If I were to review the service, it would be about paid functionalities, like implementing notifications, is easy, but debugging is not."

What is our primary use case?

I use Google Firebase for user authentication when I work with mobile apps. Firebase is easy for other than the database, in my opinion, because it gives real-time functionalities. That's easy because if I work with raw NodeJS or Express, then when I want real-time functionalities, I have to use Socket.IO, but Firebase has its own built-in real-time capabilities, and that's easy for implementation.

What is most valuable?

The real-time database is a good feature for me. The second option is notifications. When I work with PWAs and use Firebase's functionalities, their notifications are awesome. 

The implementation is easy. The only tough part is that they have paid functionalities. So when we use any type of NodeJS or other languages, we implement Firebase, and then it's paid. But the notification service is great, and so is the real-time database.

What needs improvement?

I have used Google Firebase for a maximum of two years. If I were to review the service, it would be about paid functionalities, like implementing notifications, is easy, but debugging is not. I have to connect to my Google console and upload the functionalities every time. This doesn't make sense to me because if I want to see the console, I have to upload to it. This is the biggest reported issue from me. 

When I work in the backend with Google Firebase and implement Node.js, I have to upload the function every time. If I upload the function every time to the Google Cloud console, then sometimes it can crash. That side is disappointing for me.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product. If my client wants a real-time database, top-notch security, and easy user authentication, then we can switch to Firebase. 

Firebase's security is awesome, and implementation is easy. 

If they want a real-time database, I can easily switch to Firebase because they already have a real-time database, and the collection and structure of data is easy to understand.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Everyone on my team uses it. I have ten people on my team, and only two or three did not use Firebase early. When I told them to just read the documentation and try to implement the simple things like user authentication and storing data in the database, it was amazing because they were able to easily implement it. That's why everyone uses Firebase easily.

How are customer service and support?

The documentation is very beginner-friendly. Anyone can learn the service easily.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment is very easy. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is too expensive.

What other advice do I have?

My recommendations: 

If you want to easily implement user authentication with Google sign-in or Facebook login, you can use Firebase because it has its own functionality. You can just take their API and implement your code, then you can easily create login functionality. 

If you want to make it easy, then I suggest you use Firebase. But if you want to learn more and create custom features, then I don't suggest Firebase because it has its own built-in functions.

Learning curve:

It's easy to learn  if you want to read the documentation and research. There are two types of beginners: 

  1. Those who want to research and read the documentation. For those who want to research and read the documentation, it's easy.
  2. Those who just want to go to YouTube and search. And do not have any interest. 

The Firebase version is running ten point something now, but I used Firebase version eight. The functionality and the documentation are easy for me. When I want to upload an image, Firebase has the code. I copy and paste the code, change one or two things, and that's it.

Overall rating:

If I were to make a chatting application and use Firebase, I would give it a nine or nine point eight out of ten because it is easy to learn and implement. But if we consider the price, I would give it a five or four out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Ruven Naidoo - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Developer Team Lead at Dilowa
Real User
Top 10Leaderboard
Achieves real-time interactions with automatic updates for seamless user experience
Pros and Cons
  • "The real-time database feature is the most valuable, allowing real-time feedback without needing to constantly poll the database."
  • "There needs to be an easy way to duplicate a database."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Google Firebase as a real-time database for all my applications. It allows me to get data in real time with an automatically refreshable website, so there is no delay. Even if the data changes, my website automatically updates, even if it is open in a browser.

How has it helped my organization?

Google Firebase has helped my organization by providing a real-time database, which means I don't have to worry about delays and ensures automatic website updates. It also provides an easy way to manage user authentication with various providers like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.

What is most valuable?

The real-time database feature is the most valuable, allowing real-time feedback without needing to constantly poll the database. It enables real-time interactions similar to seeing cars moving on a map in real time.

What needs improvement?

There needs to be an easy way to duplicate a database. Currently, creating a copy of a database is a manual process, which could be improved with an option to automatically create another copy.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Google Firebase for probably ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

From the point of view of reliability, Google Firebase works well with no issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, Google Firebase handles it well. It automatically scales like YouTube when hosting video content, allowing millions of customers to stream the same content without any manual intervention.

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed to contact Google support for Firebase. Whereas, I have contacted AWS support, which is really good, because I couldn't figure out certain things. For Google, I never needed the support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Google Cloud and AWS previously. Google Cloud is the cheapest and their free tier is very generous. Google Cloud has allowed me to run sites for years without any cost, unlike AWS which costs me even though it receives less traffic.

How was the initial setup?

The setup process for Google Firebase is not difficult. I have looked it over and found that you don't have to know a lot to get started.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Google Cloud is the cheapest among the solutions I have used. Their free tier is very generous, allowing me to run sites with no cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated AWS and Azure before using Google Firebase.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Google Firebase because it provides reliable and scalable solutions.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Himash Careem - PeerSpot reviewer
Intermediate Software Engineer at Xelleron Pty
Real User
Top 10
Offers an easy authentication method and supports social logins
Pros and Cons
  • "The authentication features have made things a lot easier for our organization. About five years ago, developers had to create authentication systems from scratch. Now, services like Google Firebase provide secure and accurate authentication solutions. We can implement authentication quickly by following their documentation."
  • "The customization options for password resetting are limited. The process requires additional steps and coding to make it user-friendly. While Google Firebase works well for the login page, password resetting and user verification redirect users to a separate interface, which is not very user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

I chose Google Firebase because it provides an easy way to authenticate. It offers a lot of authentication services and libraries. It is easier to use, allowing authentication directly from the front end without interacting with the back end. For more advanced use, it can also integrate with the back end. It supports most social logins and offers a free tier with features like email sending for sign-up confirmations and OTP authentication, which can be costly. The solution is user-friendly for developers and good for our company’s authentication needs across all applications.

What is most valuable?

The authentication features have made things a lot easier for our organization. About five years ago, developers had to create authentication systems from scratch. Now, services like Google Firebase provide secure and accurate authentication solutions. We can implement authentication quickly by following their documentation.

What needs improvement?

The customization options for password resetting are limited. The process requires additional steps and coding to make it user-friendly. While Google Firebase works well for the login page, password resetting and user verification redirect users to a separate interface, which is not very user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for one and a half years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable; only disruptions exist when the user does not confirm emails. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

My company has seven users. I rate the tool's scalability a seven out of ten. We had issues with scalability, particularly with configurability. Sometimes, we couldn't meet our expectations because the features provided were limited. For example, when sending customer emails, we had limited customization options.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used open-source libraries before Google Firebase. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution's deployment is easy for a front-end engineer. There are not many operations in the front end. 

What other advice do I have?

I suggest reviewing the documentation and understanding the flow before starting development. It may seem complicated initially, but having a clear idea of the process will make implementation easier. Integrating one application into others becomes straightforward once you have one application set up. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Senior DevOps Engineer at Miles Education
Real User
Top 10Leaderboard
Has good authentication features but is difficult to manage
Pros and Cons
  • "We used it to create credentials for DART for our Android and Flutter applications."
  • "In terms of DevOps, such as CI/CD deployments and integrating webhooks with GitHub, GitLab, or other platforms, Firebase does not offer those capabilities at that level."

What is our primary use case?

We utilized Firebase in many cases, such as volume, storage, hosting Angular and static pages, normal dynamic pages, and OAuth requirements. We also used it to create credentials for DART for our Android and Flutter applications. It is a Google-backed platform for Android applications. We have mobile applications for both Android and iOS devices, which we initially developed separately. Now, we are using Flutter for our mobile applications. We were utilizing Firebase primarily for our Android applications.

What is most valuable?

The authentication feature is good. I would rate it around eight out of ten. The process was seamless and straightforward for Gmail users. However, the authentication process was different and challenging for Microsoft accounts. While integrating it into an Angular or mobile application was easy for Google users, it was a plug-and-play. Non-Google users require additional conditions and configurations.

What needs improvement?

In terms of DevOps, such as CI/CD deployments and integrating webhooks with GitHub, GitLab, or other platforms, Firebase does not offer those capabilities at that level.

The only issue is that it is connected to GCP, not AWS or any other platform. The building process is specific to GCP. Thus, the challenge lies in directly integrating the build with GCP. 

It is very difficult to manage. When deploying code to a platform, I must indicate the target site or web subdomain to which it should be deployed. Additionally, I need to decide whether to ignore certain files or directories, such as node modules .env files, or cache related to the website. The script must be written to handle these details. While Firebase supports Next.js and React.js applications, the performance was below 65-70%, which affects scalability.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Google Firebase for three and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We need to focus more on the code level. We used GIF files and large banners, which significantly impacted loading times. Additionally, building and deploying the website has its challenges. We depend on external tools like GitHub Actions or Jenkins for the build process. This dependency is a major drawback because Firebase doesn't offer a built-in build service. Consequently, I have to handle the build process elsewhere and then deploy it to Firebase, which adds complexity.

I rate the solution's stability a five or six out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

They have to work more on the DevOps part. It is improving very rapidly. We require Firebase on automation requirement. Vercel is giving that as of now.

15-18 users are using this solution.

I rate the solution’s scalability a five or six out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Since it is connected to Google through GCP, we have partnered with a channel partner for billing and support. We contacted the channel partner rather than Google directly. 

What was our ROI?

The features are good, but automation is taking a major role in every domain and category.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Firebase is cheap because bandwidth usage depends on the GCP. What we were paying for was what we were getting. If we want more features, then we have to go for another platform.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution based on the target audience. Suppose a company has a minimal budget for cloud platforms and offerings. In that case, Firebase might be a good option, especially if they already use Angular, as Firebase is compatible with Angular and PHP. If a company's developers are skilled in Angular and don't want to invest in React, which can be more expensive in the current market, Firebase is a suitable alternative.

Additionally, considering the growth of customer usage is essential. For example, if the number of requests has increased from 1,000 per day to 10,000 per day, the platform should be able to scale accordingly. If customer usage is relatively low, Firebase can be a cost-effective choice. However, for higher usage levels, other platforms may be more appropriate.

The performance depends on the quality of the code, how well it is optimized, the files we upload, and how we use the browser or website.

Overall, I rate the solution a four out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Senior Flutter Developer at Mindorigin Technologies Private Limited
Real User
Top 20
Easy to use and provides useful analytics features and documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "Google Analytics for Firebase is the best feature of the solution."
  • "The notifications must be made a little bit better."

What is our primary use case?

I use Analytics for Firebase, Firebase Cloud Messaging, and Firebase Crashlytics. I have also used Firebase Performance.

What is most valuable?

Google Analytics for Firebase is the best feature of the solution. Generally, for analytics, I must integrate GA4 for the web. Since Firebase supports analytics, I can now analyze on the same dashboard using Google Analytics. It is very useful for me. The notification services, Google Analytics, and Crashlytics are easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The notifications must be made a little bit better. Firebase Cloud Messaging doesn’t support non-dismissable notifications. I encountered some difficulties migrating the code from Firebase Cloud Storage to another DB.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for three years and two months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product had bugs. I haven't found any bugs for the past one and a half years. There are conflicts with the Flutter text package while migrating to the latest Firebase version. It would be better if the problem were resolved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is much more scalable compared to other solutions. I know 12 people in the organization who use the solution. Eight know the tool well and use it in different company projects.

How are customer service and support?

I contacted support when I started using the solution. Now, I don’t need any support. The documentation is understandable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial installation was easier after FlutterFire CLI was created. It was very useful to integrate the product. Before FlutterFire CLI, it was a little bit harder to integrate the tool into iOS.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The tool is affordable. The cost is a bit high compared to REST API. Some clients prefer REST API over Firebase.

What other advice do I have?

I have deployed one project in the cloud. I have used some services of the solution for other use cases. The services similar to notification services, Google Analytics, and Crashlytics are not easy to use in other tools. I will recommend the solution if someone wants to use the notification services, Messaging, Analytics, and Crashlytics. However, I will not suggest if someone wants to use Firebase Cloud Storage.

The solution is difficult to learn if someone is just starting their career. If we get a little bit of guidance from a senior, it will be very easy. I number the patchwork for app versioning and deployment just like Android versioning. The first digit will be for batches from right to left, the second for major updates, and the third for a complete app version change. I increase the number by one for every build, patch it, and publish it. I use the same logic if I am deploying in Firebase.

Most of the applications I have worked on are e-commerce-based applications. The main requirement for clients in such applications is conversion rate. When a user interacts with a particular product, the client wants to know whether the user purchased the product or not. They want to know where the users lost interest and went away without making the payment. Google Analytics helped me fix such issues much better than any other product. I'm very happy with it.

Sometimes, I couldn't figure out how to fix issues when working on iOS. Suppose I’m just upgrading Firebase through workspace.yaml, sometimes, I may need to check whether the native version is supported. I will have to go through the documentation again. It will be much better if it is fixed by changing the version in workspace.yaml. Everything else works well.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Download our free Google Firebase Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Google Firebase Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.