Firebase
Google's backend-in-a-box — auth, database, storage and push in an afternoon, priced by usage instead of headcount.
What it is, and why we use it.
Firebase bundles the backend most apps need — authentication, a realtime database (Firestore), file storage, push notifications, analytics, crash reporting — behind client SDKs that sync state automatically, even offline. You write almost no server code; you configure services and ship. It's the fastest path from idea to a working app on someone's phone.
Firebase powers our MVPs and the long tail of app features that don't deserve custom infrastructure: auth flows, push, crash reporting. We're equally clear about its edges — when queries get relational or unit costs matter at scale, we graduate the hot paths to Postgres and keep Firebase for what it's best at.
Firebase vs Supabase vs Custom (Node + Postgres).
Firebase against the open-source BaaS challenger and the build-it-yourself default — speed now versus control later.
| Dimension | Firebase | Supabase | Custom (Node + Postgres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Database model | Firestore — NoSQL documents, realtime sync | Postgres — real SQL, realtime on top | Postgres — full control |
| Time to first launch | Fastest — days | Fast | Weeks — you build the plumbing |
| Offline sync | Best-in-class, built into SDKs | Basic | You build it |
| Complex queries | Weak — denormalise or suffer | Full SQL | Full SQL |
| Lock-in | High — proprietary APIs | Low — it's Postgres underneath | None |
| Cost at scale | Usage-priced; can spike with success | Predictable tiers | Infrastructure cost only |
Firebase wins when
- Speed to market is the whole strategy
- Mobile-first apps that need offline sync and push
- Small teams with no backend engineer yet
Supabase wins when
- You want BaaS speed with real SQL underneath
- Open-source and exit options matter
- The data model is relational from day one
Custom wins when
- The domain logic is the product
- Unit economics at scale rule out usage pricing
- Compliance demands full infrastructure control
Firebase is the right first backend for most consumer apps — and the wrong last one for some. We ship on it without apology and design the exits in advance, so success never turns into a hostage negotiation.
Thinking about Firebase?
Tell us what you're building — we'll tell you honestly whether Firebase is the right tool for it.