We use the platform to deploy our software projects.
Frontend Engineer at iSchoolConnect
Helps us deploy software projects, but it could be simpler to understand for the beginners
Pros and Cons
- "We use the platform to deploy our software projects."
- "The product is complicated for beginners to understand."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
The product is complicated for beginners to understand.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Firebase for around two and a half years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around 50 Google Firebase users in our organization.
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Google Firebase
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Google Firebase. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The architecture and higher management decided to set up all the projects on Firebase, which is why we are using it.
How was the initial setup?
We need to install Firebase from the terminal and set up everything before deploying it, whereas some other tools require less setup.
What other advice do I have?
I would not recommend the product to others and rate it a six out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 30, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSenior FullStack Developer/Engineer/Architect at Capitbrok
Provides good stability and has a comprehensive framework
Pros and Cons
- "It is a very stable solution."
- "The solution's pricing could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for authentication and faster backend deployment of applications.
What is most valuable?
The solution has a comprehensive framework with well-integrated features, including authentication, database, scalability, etc.
What needs improvement?
The solution's pricing could be better.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a very scalable solution.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup process has a medium complexity.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is an expensive tool. Also, the additional cost depends on the use cases.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a nine out of ten. It provides faster backend deployment for applications. Although, it could make your applications dependent on the technology.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Google Firebase
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Google Firebase. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Software Engineer at Turing
Satisfied with overall features, the price is right, and the customer support is plentiful
Pros and Cons
- "The scalability is good."
- "One of the challenges I was facing when I was using it was the library called Google Dialogflow which allows you to connect your chatbot with an intent. So there is so much adding when you are trying to connect it with your service because you have to do a lot of repetition writing a new intent, putting it step by set so it is good to escape. I believe it should be flexible and dedicate the intents based on the relating and to write a lesser code when doing that."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is with a chatbot and file usage. Let us say you wanted to pay for your utility bill and your data at the same time. We do this using a reward commodity known as cash tokens. This includes checking your wallet's balance and topping it up.
What needs improvement?
One of the challenges I was facing when I was using it was the library called Google Dialogflow which allows you to connect your chatbot with an intent. So there is so much adding when you are trying to connect it with your service because you have to do a lot of repetition writing a new intent, putting it step by step so it is good to escape. I believe it should be flexible and dedicate the intents based on the relating and to write a lesser code when doing that.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Firebase for the past two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
When it comes to stability I had an issue during training with downtime, I do not know maybe because of more traffic on the chatbot.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good.
How are customer service and support?
There is plenty of documentation available. I think there is plenty of group support available and Google support as well. The website has plenty of information.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is perfect and very clearly defined. The price during the trial setup is free and then you move to a paid service.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Google Firebase a ten 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.
Fullstack software developer with Python and angular at Laureate International Universities
Real-time change triggers and push notifications enhance our product functionality and offering
Pros and Cons
- "The Realtime Database feature is the most important for us since we are able to see changes in the database the moment they are happening."
- "I would like to have a facility for testing possible scenarios by writing dummy data and then doing different queries."
What is our primary use case?
I started using it for web development, taking advantage of the SDK to speed up the development process. Since you do not need to create an API, you can connect to Firebase from JavaScript.
How has it helped my organization?
The product that we sell has a lot of important features, and one is the real-time chat that was only made possible by Firebase. Currently, we are working on a migration from another document database to Firestore, which is the second generation of Firebase.
Firestore makes possible more things than Firebase. It is a mix of Datastore and Firebase. We needed a database that provides high consistency and scalability, given the real-time feature. This helped our organization a lot because the process to develop everything was very fast, thanks to its SDK.
What is most valuable?
The Realtime Database feature is the most important for us since we are able to see changes in the database the moment they are happening. So, we built a real-time chat where users are able to talk with each other. Also, the push notifications on smartphones are another important feature that we discovered later, and it made a big impact on our portal.
The Firebase functions that act as triggers to let you know when there are changes in the database are very helpful.
Another important feature would be the SDK. You do not have to create an API since you are able to query the database directly from JavaScript or any other language.
What needs improvement?
I would like to have a facility for testing possible scenarios by writing dummy data and then doing different queries. This would help me to better develop applications.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Firebase for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have never had problems in the two years that we have been working on this database.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We currently have around 500,000 and the database works very well.
How are customer service and technical support?
So far, we haven't need to contact customer service. The documentation is clear about how to implement it.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using CouchDB and we changed because we needed to use a managed service. The one available on GCP was Firebase.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple since you only need to create an account on the Firebase website.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this completely using our internal team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The monthly cost is based on writing data and queries to the database. The price, I would say, is cheap. You can use this database in the free tier even for production with small applications.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not evaluate other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
Queries to the database were very simple. However, modeling is a challenge and I recommend running proof of concepts when you want to store something new in the database.
Overall, I have to say that this database is great.
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.
Technical Lead Developer at Mayora Infotech
Beneficial authentication, simple deployment, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Google Firebase authentication and deployment."
- "I rate the support from Google Firebase a four out of five."
What is our primary use case?
Google Fire is providing a lot of features, such as the deployment of our application, and the real-time database where we can store data.
How has it helped my organization?
Google Firebase has helped our organization internally because we can deploy the applications and store data in the databases.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Google Firebase authentication and deployment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Firebase for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Google Firebase is scalable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Google Firebase is good.
We have approximately 10 to 12 developers who use the solution as per the requirements of the projects. We plan to increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the support from Google Firebase a four out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used a similar solution to Google Firebase.
How was the initial setup?
The setup of Google Firebase is straightforward.
What was our ROI?
I have received a return on investment using Google Firebase.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the price of Google Firebase a four out of five.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
We have one person that does the maintenance of the solution.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Google Firebase a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Developer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Gives more power and accessibility to quickly publish apps
Pros and Cons
- "Google Firebase is one I like a lot because it gives us a little bit more power and accessibility when it comes to publishing apps a lot quicker and for the needs that we have."
- "The only thing that I won't do on Firebase is the hosting side of things for a progressive web app because it feels like you actually still need to download the app first before you can actually get into the functionality of the app."
What is most valuable?
Google Firebase is one I like a lot because it gives us a little bit more power and accessibility when it comes to publishing apps a lot quicker and for the needs that we have.
The documentation for Google Firebase is great. Also, what I like about it is the integration to Android, which is the reason I went with Firebase. Android is the biggest mobile platform out there currently, bigger than IOS, especially in South Africa.
What needs improvement?
The only thing that I won't do on Firebase is the hosting side of things for a progressive web app because it feels like you actually still need to download the app first before you can actually get into the functionality of the app.
So, it's not really a website, but it's web-based, and the app needs to be like a downloadable app. In that sense, I'm using normal Linux hosting and PHP for normal websites. I still have to split my software into a web app. If there's something that needs to be improved, it is that if you publish an app as web-based that you don't have to physically download the app or that the app doesn't download in the background.
I would rather not publish as a progressive web app. Initially, on first opening up, the app seems very slow. After that it's quick, but it feels like the app needs to be downloaded first before you can actually get into the functionality of the app.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it for about six or seven months.
How was the initial setup?
In the case of your first setup, if you're not sure what you want to do, it can become a bit of a problem. If you've done something wrong, it's very difficult to get rid of your project. There are some unique IDs that are left behind. So, the initial stages were a little bit difficult in that sense because if you make a mistake, you can't reuse what you have done.
However, once I got used to working with Firebase, it was nice and easy. Firebase is a Google product, but in the beginning, it didn't seem like one. Google is making a lot of changes, which makes us developers make other changes a lot as well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The moment you go into volumes, then you work on a pay-per-volume basis.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend it if you're experimenting and starting off because of the way Google gives you a lot of free options when the project is still small. However, if you're thinking of a big project where there's going to be costs and a lot of traffic, then I would recommend that you decide on Firebase, Azure, or AWS from the beginning before you actually do something. For the experimental side, Firebase is fantastic.
If you're going to do mobile apps and need to publish to play store and have functionalities such as push notifications, analytics, AdMob, and monetization, then Firebase definitely is the way to go.
I would rate Google Firsebase at eight on a scale from one to ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Application Development Manager at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
One of the easier options to host a website or app quickly.
Pros and Cons
- "What I like most about Google Firebase is that it's one of the easier options to host a website or app quickly."
- "I would like to see faster data migration and some support for other languages in the next release."
What is our primary use case?
We use Google Firebase for the database in the backend. We also use some of the Firebase functions for the website to interact with. We host two apps on it. One is an Ionic app that connects to the Google Play Store and the Apple Play store. The other one also has a Firebase backend, Firebase functions, and some schedule functions to make some payments.
What is most valuable?
What I like most about Google Firebase is that it's one of the easier options to host a website or app quickly. I think the backend integration is quite quick with the Firebase.
What needs improvement?
I think the migration into a data warehouse, or Google BigQuery, should be a bit more automated. There are still some manual hiccups, and it wasn't as user friendly as some of the other components.
I would like to see faster data migration and some support for other languages in the next release. Google Firebase has functions, but it'll help to do a .NET Core kind of function or a bit of additional support for other languages. Right now, I feel like it's very Google-centric.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Firebase for about 18 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Google Firebase is definitely a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Google Firebase felt like it was scalable to a point with our solution. But when we went a bit further with our databases, we ran into some problems.
We had a concept where we were white labeling and had different speeds. As soon as we connected six different apps to the same backend, we started having problems. Then we had to split into duplicate databases, and that wasn't perfect.
I also found that we hadn't used the real-time database in the BI component, and we used the Firestore component. Originally, we had a real-time database, and we migrated to the Google Cloud Firestore database. I found that I could easily migrate that into Google BigQuery. But there's a couple of steps. First, you have to do the backup, and then you have to import these backups into Google BigQuery.
I did that about six months ago and was slightly annoyed that there were no streaming functions. Scheduling the import was very difficult with Firestore. We had to use a couple of other tools to create schedulers to import. But the import on the Google BigQuery and the Firestore component was still a manual process, which was a bit annoying.
How was the initial setup?
Google Firebase is quick to set up and relatively easy to install. But it depends on the context, dependent on the growth of the application. For example, if you have a site that's already developed, doing the hosting and configurations, with authentication plugins and more, will probably take anywhere from a couple of days to a week.
What about the implementation team?
Google Firebase was set up by myself and one of the other developers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing component is a bit confusing when it comes to what exactly you'll pay for, but I wouldn't say it's expensive. I just found it a bit confusing to understand what exactly it was saying. There aren't any extra payments for the license.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We started with Firebase, but we recently considered moving over to Azure. But the benefits we would've received weren't worth the migration effort.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Google Firebase for startups and people specifically focusing on apps.
Based on our use case, I would give Google Firebase an eight.
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.
Assistant Director at NAFDAC
Easy to set up with a user-friendly interface and good documentation
Pros and Cons
- "The user interface is very good and easy to navigate."
- "The cold start-up of the cloud function needs to speed up. For me personally, I'm not experienced in anything there, however, I've just read online it's a problem."
What is our primary use case?
We're primarily using the solution for developing SaaS expert system software. I wanted to host it with Google so users can subscribe and then develop online from anywhere. That way my software can run on their server.
What is most valuable?
The Firebase hosting and the automated authentication service, as well as the cloud functionality, are the solution's most valuable features.
The documentation and guides for implementation are very good.
The user interface is very good and easy to navigate.
The solution is easy to upload and overall easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The cold start-up of the cloud function needs to speed up. For me personally, I'm not experienced in anything there, however, I've just read online it's a problem.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have a lot of confidence in Google because it's a pretty large enterprise and we have been using Google products for a long time. I don't have any fear of failed stability; I have full confidence in their products.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm the only one using and testing the solution right now. I'm using it on a daily basis.
How are customer service and technical support?
I haven't needed technical support and therefore have never contacted them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Jelastic but the pricing was poor. I switched to Google because it is free up to a certain point.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and very simple. To deploy the solution takes less than an hour.
What about the implementation team?
I simply used the online documentation and step-by-step guide to handle the implementation myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is free up to a certain point. You don't have to add your credit card until you exceed the limits allowed.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did evaluate other options, including Amazon AWS, but I had difficulty. I'd subscribe using my credit card and they'd deduct my money but I would not get any codes to authenticate. After a long time, I was frustrated so I moved to Google.
What other advice do I have?
I'm using the latest online version of the solution, which is public cloud-based.
I can develop the solution offline if I like. I go offline to develop the solution and then I'll go online again to test because testing online wastes my time. I do the test of my software offline, but when I want to use the cloud to test I'll jump online.
I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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