Overview

Firebase

Stacks42.2K

Followers36.0K

Votes2.0K

FeathersJS

Stacks163

Followers341

Votes70

GitHub Stars15.2K

Forks793

FeathersJS vs Firebase: What are the differences?

Introduction

FeathersJS and Firebase are both popular backend frameworks for web and mobile applications. While they have some similarities, there are key differences that set them apart. Below are six specific differences between FeathersJS and Firebase.

Database Support: FeathersJS provides support for multiple databases, including SQL, NoSQL, and in-memory databases. This allows developers to choose the database that best fits their project requirements. On the other hand, Firebase is tightly integrated with Google Cloud Firestore, a NoSQL database, and does not offer the flexibility to switch to other databases easily.
Real-time Capabilities: FeathersJS is built upon real-time technologies like WebSockets and offers built-in support for real-time data synchronization. Developers can easily implement real-time features such as real-time chat, live-updating dashboards, and collaborative editing. Firebase, on the other hand, offers a more extensive real-time feature set, providing real-time data synchronization out-of-the-box with minimal effort.
Authentication and Authorization: FeathersJS provides a flexible authentication and authorization system where developers can choose from various strategies such as OAuth, JWT, or local authentication. It also allows developers to define fine-grained access control rules. Firebase offers a similar authentication system but includes additional features like social logins, SMS authentication, and user management that are built into the platform.
Server Environment: FeathersJS is built to run on any web server environment, including popular options like Express, Hapi, or Koa. This allows developers to have more control over their server setup and configuration. In contrast, Firebase is hosted and managed entirely by Google, and developers do not have control over the server environment.
Querying and Filtering: FeathersJS provides a powerful querying and filtering syntax that allows developers to perform complex database queries and filtering on the server-side. This can be useful for optimizing queries and reducing bandwidth usage. Firebase offers a simpler querying syntax compared to FeathersJS, which may not be as flexible for complex database operations.
Deployment Options: FeathersJS allows developers to deploy their applications to any hosting provider or cloud platform. It provides flexibility in choosing the deployment strategy and infrastructure. Firebase, on the other hand, offers a seamless deployment experience through Firebase Hosting and integrates well with other Google Cloud services.

In summary, FeathersJS provides flexibility in terms of database support, server environment, and deployment options, while Firebase offers a more integrated and feature-rich real-time platform with additional authentication options and a simpler deployment process. The choice between FeathersJS and Firebase depends on the specific requirements of the project and the trade-offs developers are willing to make.

Advice on Firebase, FeathersJS

Jared

Contractor at Insight Global

Aug 9, 2019

Reviewon

Firebase

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.

271k views271k

Comments

Noam

Jul 16, 2020

Needs adviceon

Node.js

ExpressJS

React

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

Detailed Comparison

Firebase	FeathersJS
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.	Feathers is a real-time, micro-service web framework for NodeJS that gives you control over your data via RESTful resources, sockets and flexible plug-ins.
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.	-
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 15.2K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 793
Stacks 42.2K	Stacks 163
Followers 36.0K	Followers 341
Votes 2.0K	Votes 70
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 12 Real-time 7 Choose any ORM 7 Datastore Agnostic 6 Flexible Plugins 5 Choose Socketio or Primus
Integrations
Trigger.io Famo.us Backbone.js Ember.js AngularJS React	Node.js

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