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AWS AppSync

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AWS AppSync vs Firebase: What are the differences?

Developers describe AWS AppSync as "A managed GraphQL service with real-time data and offline programming". AWS AppSync automatically updates the data in web and mobile applications in real time, and updates data for offline users as soon as they reconnect. AppSync makes it easy to build collaborative mobile and web applications that deliver responsive, collaborative user experiences. On the other hand, Firebase is detailed as "The Realtime App Platform". 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.

AWS AppSync and Firebase are primarily classified as "GraphQL as a Service" and "Realtime Backend / API" tools respectively.

Some of the features offered by AWS AppSync are:

  • Uses GraphQL
  • Real-time data access and updates
  • Offline data synchronization

On the other hand, Firebase provides the following key features:

  • 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.

"Offline" is the top reason why over 2 developers like AWS AppSync, while over 318 developers mention "Realtime backend made easy" as the leading cause for choosing Firebase.

Instacart, 9GAG, and Twitch are some of the popular companies that use Firebase, whereas AWS AppSync is used by Livement, HyperTrack, and Quriobot. Firebase has a broader approval, being mentioned in 859 company stacks & 997 developers stacks; compared to AWS AppSync, which is listed in 12 company stacks and 12 developer stacks.

Advice on AWS AppSync and Firebase
Needs advice
on
ApolloApolloFirebaseFirebase
and
Socket.IOSocket.IO

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.

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Replies (3)
Timothy Malstead
Junior Full Stack Developer at Freelance · | 7 upvotes · 407.7K views
Recommends
on
FirebaseFirebase

I would recommend looking hard into Firebase for this project, especially if you do not have dedicated full-stack or backend members on your team.

The real time database, as you mentioned, is a great option, but I would also look into Firestore. Similar to RTDB, it adds more functions and some cool methods as well. Also, another great thing about Firebase is you have easy access to storage and dead simple auth as well.

Node.js Express MongoDB Socket.IO and Apollo are great technologies as well, and may be the better option if you do not wish to cede as much control to third parties in your application.

Overall, I say if you wish to focus more time developing your React application instead of other parts of your stack, Firebase is a great way to do that.

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Recommends
on
AblyAbly

Hello Noam 👋,

I suggest taking a look at Ably, it has all the realtime features you need and the platform is designed to guarantee critical functionality at scale.

Here is an in depth comparison between Ably and Firebase

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Recommends
on
8base8base

Hey Noam,

I would recommend you to take a look into 8base. It has features you've requested, also relation database and GraphQL API which will help you to develop rapidly.

Thanks, Ilya

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Pros of AWS AppSync
Pros of Firebase
  • 9
    GraphQL
  • 6
    Real-Time
  • 3
    Offline
  • 3
    Apollo
  • 2
    Fully managed and scalable GraphQL Resolver!
  • 2
    Backed by Amazon
  • 2
    BaaS
  • 2
    AWS
  • 1
    Enterprise Security
  • 369
    Realtime backend made easy
  • 268
    Fast and responsive
  • 240
    Easy setup
  • 213
    Real-time
  • 188
    JSON
  • 133
    Free
  • 126
    Backed by google
  • 82
    Angular adaptor
  • 67
    Reliable
  • 35
    Great customer support
  • 31
    Great documentation
  • 25
    Real-time synchronization
  • 21
    Mobile friendly
  • 18
    Rapid prototyping
  • 14
    Great security
  • 12
    Automatic scaling
  • 11
    Freakingly awesome
  • 8
    Angularfire is an amazing addition!
  • 8
    Super fast development
  • 8
    Chat
  • 6
    Firebase hosting
  • 6
    Built in user auth/oauth
  • 6
    Awesome next-gen backend
  • 6
    Ios adaptor
  • 4
    Very easy to use
  • 4
    Speed of light
  • 3
    Great
  • 3
    It's made development super fast
  • 3
    Brilliant for startups
  • 2
    .net
  • 2
    JS Offline and Sync suport
  • 2
    Low battery consumption
  • 2
    Push notification
  • 2
    Free hosting
  • 2
    Cloud functions
  • 2
    The concurrent updates create a great experience
  • 2
    I can quickly create static web apps with no backend
  • 2
    Great all-round functionality
  • 2
    Free authentication solution
  • 1
    CDN & cache out of the box
  • 1
    Google's support
  • 1
    Simple and easy
  • 1
    Faster workflow
  • 1
    Free SSL
  • 1
    Easy Reactjs integration
  • 1
    Easy to use
  • 1
    Large
  • 1
    Serverless
  • 1
    Good Free Limits

Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

Cons of AWS AppSync
Cons of Firebase
    Be the first to leave a con
    • 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
    • 3
      Very unstable server
    • 3
      No Relational Data
    • 2
      Too many errors
    • 2
      No offline sync

    Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

    What is AWS AppSync?

    AWS AppSync automatically updates the data in web and mobile applications in real time, and updates data for offline users as soon as they reconnect. AppSync makes it easy to build collaborative mobile and web applications that deliver responsive, collaborative user experiences.

    What is Firebase?

    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.

    Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

    What companies use AWS AppSync?
    What companies use Firebase?
    See which teams inside your own company are using AWS AppSync or Firebase.
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    Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions

    What tools integrate with AWS AppSync?
    What tools integrate with Firebase?

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    Blog Posts

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    What are some alternatives to AWS AppSync and Firebase?
    Prisma
    Prisma is an open-source database toolkit. It replaces traditional ORMs and makes database access easy with an auto-generated query builder for TypeScript & Node.js.
    AWS Mobile Hub
    AWS Mobile Hub is the fastest way to build mobile apps powered by AWS. It lets you easily add and configure features for your apps, including user authentication, data storage, backend logic, push notifications, content delivery, and analytics. After you build your app, AWS Mobile Hub gives you easy access to testing on real devices, as well as analytics dashboards to track usage of your app – all from a single, integrated console.
    AWS Amplify
    A JavaScript library for frontend and mobile developers building cloud-enabled applications. The library is a declarative interface across different categories of operations in order to make common tasks easier to add into your application. The default implementation works with Amazon Web Services (AWS) resources but is designed to be open and pluggable for usage with other cloud services that wish to provide an implementation or custom backends.
    Realm
    The Realm Mobile Platform is a next-generation data layer for applications. Realm is reactive, concurrent, and lightweight, allowing you to work with live, native objects.
    Firebase Realtime Database
    It is a cloud-hosted NoSQL database that lets you store and sync data between your users in realtime. Data is synced across all clients in realtime, and remains available when your app goes offline.
    See all alternatives