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

Firebase vs OneSignal

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
OneSignal
OneSignal
Stacks354
Followers488
Votes127
GitHub Stars0
Forks0

Firebase vs OneSignal: What are the differences?

Introduction

Firebase and OneSignal are both popular platforms used for developing and managing mobile applications. However, there are several key differences between the two.

1. Integration and Compatibility: Firebase is a comprehensive development platform that offers a wide range of services, including real-time database, authentication, hosting, and analytics. It can be seamlessly integrated into Android, iOS, and web applications. On the other hand, OneSignal is primarily a push notification service that supports multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, and web.

2. Pricing Model: Firebase follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, where users are charged based on their usage of different Firebase services. OneSignal, on the other hand, offers a freemium model where a basic set of features is available for free, and additional features such as advanced targeting and segmentation come with a subscription fee.

3. Development Language: Firebase supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, Swift, Java, and Objective-C. OneSignal primarily uses JavaScript for web applications and offers native SDKs for iOS and Android.

4. Scalability and Infrastructure: Firebase provides a scalable infrastructure and handles automatic scaling of resources based on demand. It is built on top of Google Cloud Platform, leveraging its robust infrastructure. OneSignal, being primarily a push notification service, relies on its own infrastructure and scaling capabilities. However, it may not be as scalable or extensive as Firebase.

5. Real-time Database: Firebase offers a real-time NoSQL database, which allows multiple clients to synchronize and update data in real-time. OneSignal, on the other hand, does not provide a real-time database but focuses mainly on push notification management.

6. Third-Party Integrations: Firebase has extensive support for integrating with other Google services, such as Google Analytics, Google Cloud Functions, and Google Ads. OneSignal offers integrations with various third-party platforms and services, including messaging services like Slack and Zapier.

In summary, Firebase is a comprehensive development platform with a wide range of services and support for multiple programming languages, while OneSignal is primarily a push notification service with a focus on cross-platform compatibility. Firebase offers a real-time database and extensive third-party integrations, whereas OneSignal provides a straightforward push notification management solution.

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Advice on Firebase, OneSignal

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

Detailed Comparison

Firebase
Firebase
OneSignal
OneSignal

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.

OneSignal is a high volume push notification service for websites and mobile applications. OneSignal supports all major native and mobile platforms by providing dedicated SDKs for each platform, a RESTful server API, and a dashboard.

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.
Multiplatform notifications;Web Push Support; Safari Push Notifications;Localized message support;A/B testing;Real time analytics;Segmentation targeting;Automated marketing tools
Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
0
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
0
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
354
Followers
36.0K
Followers
488
Votes
2.0K
Votes
127
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
  • 28
    Free of cost
  • 22
    More parametrable
  • 17
    Simple and Easy To Use. Well Documented :)
  • 13
    Device to device
  • 12
    Simple
Integrations
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
Unity
Unity
Xamarin
Xamarin
Apache Cordova
Apache Cordova
WordPress
WordPress
Zapier
Zapier
Segment
Segment
Google Analytics
Google Analytics
Android SDK
Android SDK
iOS
iOS

What are some alternatives to Firebase, OneSignal?

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.

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.

deepstream.io

deepstream.io

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.

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.

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