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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Platform as a Service
  4. Realtime Backend API
  5. Firebase vs Socket.IO vs deepstream.io

Firebase vs Socket.IO vs deepstream.io

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
Socket.IO
Socket.IO
Stacks13.6K
Followers11.0K
Votes776
deepstream.io
deepstream.io
Stacks39
Followers112
Votes41

Firebase vs Socket.IO vs deepstream.io: What are the differences?

Introduction
This markdown code will discuss the key differences between Firebase, Socket.IO, and deepstream.io in the context of website development.

  1. Real-Time Capabilities
    Firebase provides real-time synchronization for data across all clients, making it ideal for applications that require instant updates. Socket.IO also offers real-time communication by enabling bidirectional event-based communication between clients and servers. In contrast, deepstream.io excels in real-time data processing and synchronization for large-scale applications with its fast and scalable architecture.

  2. Data Storage
    Firebase is primarily a NoSQL database that stores data in JSON format and provides seamless integration with various platforms. Socket.IO does not handle data storage but facilitates real-time data exchange between clients and servers. On the other hand, deepstream.io focuses on real-time data storage and synchronization, offering features like record caching and querying for efficient data management.

  3. Scalability
    Firebase offers automatic scaling and server maintenance, making it suitable for startups and small to medium-sized applications. Socket.IO can be scaled horizontally across multiple nodes to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently. deepstream.io is designed for horizontal scaling and distributed architectures, enabling seamless scalability for enterprise-level applications.

  4. Event Handling
    Firebase uses event listeners and triggers to manage real-time data changes and updates throughout the application. Socket.IO uses custom events and callbacks to handle real-time communication between clients and servers. deepstream.io utilizes message passing and data subscriptions to enable efficient event handling and real-time synchronization for complex data structures.

  5. Offline Support
    Firebase provides robust offline support through local caching and synchronization, ensuring data consistency in unreliable network conditions. Socket.IO lacks built-in offline support and may require custom implementations to handle offline scenarios effectively. deepstream.io offers offline synchronization and conflict resolution mechanisms to manage data consistency across distributed systems even in offline environments.

  6. Customization and Extensibility
    Firebase offers limited customization options and relies on predefined modules and APIs for development. Socket.IO allows for extensive customization through middleware and plugin integrations to tailor real-time communication behaviors. deepstream.io provides a highly modular architecture with plugins and server extensions, enabling developers to customize and extend its functionality according to specific application requirements.

In Summary, Firebase excels in real-time synchronization, Socket.IO is ideal for bidirectional event-based communication, deepstream.io focuses on scalable real-time data processing, making each platform suitable for different development needs.

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Advice on Firebase, Socket.IO, deepstream.io

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
Eric
Eric

Owner at The Richner Group

Sep 24, 2020

Needs adviceonReactReactElasticsearchElasticsearchFirebaseFirebase

We are starting to work on a web-based platform aiming to connect investors/wholesalers (clients) and buyers (service providers). A third service provider, lenders, will be added in the future.

The ability to create profiles of buyers w/ their buying criteria, to create saved records of properties for sale (provided by client) to be cross-referenced against the buyers' criteria is our core functionality.

In-app, timeline-based, real-time communication between users (& storing it), file transfers, and push notifications are post MVP features we would like as well.

We are considering using React, Elasticsearch / App Search w/ their Search UI, and using Real-Time Database and functionalities of Firebase.

30.1k views30.1k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Firebase
Firebase
Socket.IO
Socket.IO
deepstream.io
deepstream.io

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.

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

Scalable Server for Realtime Web Apps with JSON structures that can be read, manipulated and listened to, messages that can be sent to one or more subscribers, and request response workflows, between two clients or servers.

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.
Real-time analytics - Push data to clients that gets represented as real-time counters, charts or logs.;Binary streaming - Starting in 1.0, it's possible to send any blob back and forth: image, audio, video.;Instant messaging and chat - Socket.IO's "Hello world" is a chat app in just a few lines of code.;Document collaboration - Allow users to concurrently edit a document and see each other's changes.
Stores and syncs data in realtime;Built in node.js;Works for browsers, backend & mobile;Scales via clustering;Exceptionally fast & easy to use;Open Source and free (MIT License)
Statistics
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
13.6K
Stacks
39
Followers
36.0K
Followers
11.0K
Followers
112
Votes
2.0K
Votes
776
Votes
41
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
  • 219
    Real-time
  • 143
    Node.js
  • 141
    Event-based communication
  • 102
    WebSockets
  • 102
    Open source
Cons
  • 12
    Bad documentation
  • 4
    Githubs that complement it are mostly deprecated
  • 3
    Doesn't work on React Native
  • 2
    Small community
  • 2
    Websocket Errors
Pros
  • 8
    Real-time
  • 8
    RethinkDB
  • 6
    Node.js
  • 6
    Websockets
  • 5
    WebRTC
Integrations
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
Auth0
Auth0
Gatsby
Gatsby
Flutter
Flutter
React
React
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Cloud Firestore
Cloud Firestore
Outbrain
Outbrain
No integrations available

What are some alternatives to Firebase, Socket.IO, deepstream.io?

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.

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.

8base

8base

A cloud service designed to power enterprise-grade web and mobile applications that require support for large numbers of users, complex data and transactional requirements, comprehensive role-based security and a modern look-and-feel.

Supabase

Supabase

Supabase is currently in early-Alpha .It is an open-source Firebase alternative. It adds realtime and RESTful APIs to your PostgreSQL database without a single line of code.

Faye

Faye

Faye is a set of tools for simple publish-subscribe messaging between web clients. It ships with easy-to-use message routing servers for Node.js and Rack applications, and clients that can be used on the server and in the browser.

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