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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Platform as a Service
  4. Realtime Backend API
  5. Amazon DynamoDB vs Firebase

Amazon DynamoDB vs Firebase

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB
Stacks4.0K
Followers3.2K
Votes195

Amazon DynamoDB vs Firebase: What are the differences?

Introduction: Amazon DynamoDB and Firebase are two popular NoSQL databases used for building scalable applications. Both platforms offer various features and capabilities, but they also have distinct differences that set them apart.

  1. Data Modeling and Querying: Amazon DynamoDB uses a schema-less design that allows for flexible data modeling. It also provides powerful querying capabilities with support for secondary indexes. On the other hand, Firebase follows a more structured data model with a JSON-based database that simplifies data storage but may limit complex querying capabilities compared to DynamoDB.

  2. Scalability and Performance: Amazon DynamoDB is designed to handle large-scale applications with seamless scalability and high-performance throughput. It offers automatic partitioning and replication of data to handle high traffic loads efficiently. In contrast, Firebase is known for its real-time database that excels in handling concurrent connections and updates, making it a preferred choice for applications requiring real-time updates.

  3. Pricing Model: Amazon DynamoDB follows a pay-per-request pricing model where you only pay for the read and write requests made to the database. It also offers provisioned throughput capacity to optimize costs based on expected traffic. Firebase, on the other hand, follows a usage-based pricing model that charges based on storage, data transfer, and online users, which can be beneficial for smaller applications with fluctuating traffic.

  4. Integration with Other Services: Amazon DynamoDB seamlessly integrates with other AWS services like Lambda, S3, and API Gateway, enabling developers to build complex serverless architectures easily. Firebase, on the contrary, is tightly integrated with Google Cloud services like Cloud Functions, Authentication, and Hosting, providing a unified platform for developing and deploying applications.

  5. Mobile Development Support: Firebase is widely recognized for its robust support for mobile app development, offering features like authentication, real-time database, cloud messaging, and app indexing. It provides SDKs for various platforms, simplifying the integration process for mobile developers. While DynamoDB can also be used for mobile app development, Firebase's dedicated focus on mobile-related features sets it apart in this aspect.

  6. Data Storage Limits: Amazon DynamoDB imposes limits on the size of individual items and total storage capacity based on the selected pricing plan. Firebase, however, provides a generous limit on the amount of data that can be stored and synced in real-time across devices, making it suitable for applications with large datasets and frequent data updates.

In Summary, Amazon DynamoDB excels in scalability and flexible querying capabilities, making it ideal for large-scale applications, while Firebase stands out for its real-time capabilities, mobile development support, and user-friendly pricing model, making it a preferred choice for real-time applications and smaller projects requiring rapid development.

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Advice on Firebase, Amazon DynamoDB

Jared
Jared

Contractor at Insight Global

Aug 9, 2019

ReviewonFirebaseFirebase

I started using Firebase over 5 years ago because of the 'real-time' nature. I originally used to use Real Time Database, but now I use Cloud Firestore. I recommend using the Google Firebase PaaS to quickly develop or prototype small to enterprise level web/mobile applications. Since Google purchased Firebase, it has exploded and it growing rapidly. I also find some level of comfort that it is Backed by Google.

272k views272k
Comments
Noam
Noam

Jul 16, 2020

Needs adviceonNode.jsNode.jsExpressJSExpressJSReactReact

We are starting to work on a web-based platform aiming to connect artists (clients) and professional freelancers (service providers). In-app, timeline-based, real-time communication between users (& storing it), file transfers, and push notifications are essential core features. We are considering using Node.js, ExpressJS, React, MongoDB stack with Socket.IO & Apollo, or maybe using Real-Time Database and functionalities of Firebase.

1.15M views1.15M
Comments
Doru
Doru

Solution Architect

Jun 9, 2019

ReviewonAmazon DynamoDBAmazon DynamoDB

I use Amazon DynamoDB because it integrates seamlessly with other AWS SaaS solutions and if cost is the primary concern early on, then this will be a better choice when compared to AWS RDS or any other solution that requires the creation of a HA cluster of IaaS components that will cost money just for being there, the costs not being influenced primarily by usage.

1.35k views1.35k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Firebase
Firebase
Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB

Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.

With it , you can offload the administrative burden of operating and scaling a highly available distributed database cluster, while paying a low price for only what you use.

Add the Firebase library to your app and get access to a shared data structure. Any changes made to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.;Firebase apps can be written entirely with client-side code, update in real-time out-of-the-box, interoperate well with existing services, scale automatically, and provide strong data security.;Data Accessibility- Data is stored as JSON in Firebase. Every piece of data has its own URL which can be used in Firebase's client libraries and as a REST endpoint. These URLs can also be entered into a browser to view the data and watch it update in real-time.;Real-time Synchronization- Firebase takes a new approach to the way data is moved around an app. Rather than using a traditional request & response model, it works by synchronizing data between devices. Whenever your data changes, all clients are immediately notified within milliseconds. The synchronized data is also persisted, allowing new clients to be immediately updated.;First-class Data Security- Traditional applications intermix security code with application code, whereas Firebase treats security as a first-class feature. You define your security policies in one place using a flexible rules language, and Firebase ensures that they are consistently enforced across all parts of your application. Having all your security logic in one place allows for easy auditing and helps you avoid security mistakes. The safety and security of your data is our top priority.;Automatic Scaling- The Firebase API is built from the ground up for performance and scale. Whenever your data changes, Firebase calculates the minimum set of updates required to keep all your clients in sync. In addition, all Firebase API functions are designed to scale linearly with the size of the data being synchronized. More importantly, Firebase handles all of the scaling and operations for you. Your app will scale from its first user to its first million without any code changes.;Servers are Optional- Firebase can provide all of the data storage, control, and transmission needs of most apps. In many cases, Firebase can completely replace your server and server-side code. This means you no longer need to build complicated backend software and can instead focus on your application logic and your customers.
Automated Storage Scaling – There is no limit to the amount of data you can store in a DynamoDB table, and the service automatically allocates more storage, as you store more data using the DynamoDB write APIs;Provisioned Throughput – When creating a table, simply specify how much request capacity you require. DynamoDB allocates dedicated resources to your table to meet your performance requirements, and automatically partitions data over a sufficient number of servers to meet your request capacity;Fully Distributed, Shared Nothing Architecture
Statistics
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
4.0K
Followers
36.0K
Followers
3.2K
Votes
2.0K
Votes
195
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 371
    Realtime backend made easy
  • 270
    Fast and responsive
  • 242
    Easy setup
  • 215
    Real-time
  • 191
    JSON
Cons
  • 31
    Can become expensive
  • 16
    No open source, you depend on external company
  • 15
    Scalability is not infinite
  • 9
    Not Flexible Enough
  • 7
    Cant filter queries
Pros
  • 62
    Predictable performance and cost
  • 56
    Scalable
  • 35
    Native JSON Support
  • 21
    AWS Free Tier
  • 7
    Fast
Cons
  • 4
    Only sequential access for paginate data
  • 1
    Document Limit Size
  • 1
    Scaling
Integrations
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
MySQL
MySQL
SQLite
SQLite
Azure Database for MySQL
Azure Database for MySQL

What are some alternatives to Firebase, Amazon DynamoDB?

Socket.IO

Socket.IO

It enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

PubNub

PubNub

PubNub makes it easy for you to add real-time capabilities to your apps, without worrying about the infrastructure. Build apps that allow your users to engage in real-time across mobile, browser, desktop and server.

Pusher

Pusher

Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features.

SignalR

SignalR

SignalR allows bi-directional communication between server and client. Servers can now push content to connected clients instantly as it becomes available. SignalR supports Web Sockets, and falls back to other compatible techniques for older browsers. SignalR includes APIs for connection management (for instance, connect and disconnect events), grouping connections, and authorization.

Azure Cosmos DB

Azure Cosmos DB

Azure DocumentDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service built for fast and predictable performance, high availability, elastic scaling, global distribution, and ease of development.

Cloud Firestore

Cloud Firestore

Cloud Firestore is a NoSQL document database that lets you easily store, sync, and query data for your mobile and web apps - at global scale.

Ably

Ably

Ably offers WebSockets, stream resume, history, presence, and managed third-party integrations to make it simple to build, extend, and deliver digital realtime experiences at scale.

Syncano

Syncano

Syncano is a backend platform to build powerful real-time apps more efficiently. Integrate with any API, minimize boilerplate code and control your data - all from one place.

NATS

NATS

Unlike traditional enterprise messaging systems, NATS has an always-on dial tone that does whatever it takes to remain available. This forms a great base for building modern, reliable, and scalable cloud and distributed systems.

SocketCluster

SocketCluster

SocketCluster is a fast, highly scalable HTTP + realtime server engine which lets you build multi-process realtime servers that make use of all CPU cores on a machine/instance. It removes the limitations of having to run your Node.js server as a single thread and makes your backend resilient by automatically recovering from worker crashes and aggregating errors into a central log.

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