Firebase is Google's backend for mobile and web apps: a database, sign-ins, hosting, push notifications, crash reporting and analytics in one project. It's for founders and developers building an app, especially a mobile one, who don't want to run servers. The no-cost Spark plan needs no payment method. Its Firestore database includes 1 GiB stored, 50,000 document reads and 20,000 writes a day, and Hosting includes 10 GB of storage and 360 MB of transfer a day, with a custom domain.
What it can do for you
Add sign-ins, store data that syncs in real time and works offline, and host your web app on your own domain. Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging, Analytics and A/B Testing are no-cost on any plan. For a mobile app, it's one of the quickest routes from idea to launch.
What people like
Reviewers call it the most complete mobile backend, praising real-time sync, offline support and a generous free tier.
The honest downsides
- Spark is narrower than it was. Cloud Storage for files and Cloud Functions aren't available on Spark. Since 3 February 2026, storage calls from a Spark project fail. If you go over a Spark quota, Google shuts that product off for the rest of the month.
- NoSQL isn't SQL. Reviewers and Reddit users say Firestore's document model makes joins, reporting and relational data hard. Firebase's SQL Connect adds Postgres, but it's a 3-month trial on Spark.
- Lock-in. Firestore, its security rules and SDKs are proprietary, and you can't self-host.
- Surprise bills on Blaze. Google's docs say budget alerts don't cap your charges. Its new spend caps are in preview, cover only some services, and aren't instant. Reviewers warn that listeners and badly scoped queries multiply Firestore reads, and Reddit users name looping functions as a classic way to run up a bill.
- Security rules take care. Reviewers say misconfigured rules are a common cause of data exposure.
Skip it if
- your data is relational, such as accounts, teams, invoices and permissions
- you need a hard spending limit
Alternatives
- Better pick for most SaaS and web apps: Supabase. It's built on standard Postgres, so joins, reporting and moving your data elsewhere are far easier, and its free plan includes file storage. Reddit founders increasingly choose it for new SaaS products. Firebase stays the stronger choice for mobile apps that need offline sync.
- If you'll outgrow the free tier, the Google for Startups Cloud Program can cover Google Cloud costs if you qualify.
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