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Firebase vs OneSignal: What are the differences?
Developers describe Firebase 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. On the other hand, OneSignal is detailed as "Free Mobile and Web Push Notifications". Free mobile and web push notification service.
Firebase and OneSignal are primarily classified as "Realtime Backend / API" and "Mobile Push Messaging" tools respectively.
Some of the features offered by Firebase are:
- 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.
On the other hand, OneSignal provides the following key features:
- Multiplatform notifications
- Web Push Support
- Safari Push Notifications
"Realtime backend made easy" is the top reason why over 318 developers like Firebase, while over 18 developers mention "More parametrable" as the leading cause for choosing OneSignal.
According to the StackShare community, Firebase has a broader approval, being mentioned in 859 company stacks & 997 developers stacks; compared to OneSignal, which is listed in 55 company stacks and 15 developer stacks.
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.
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.
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
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
Pros of Firebase
- Realtime backend made easy369
- Fast and responsive268
- Easy setup240
- Real-time213
- JSON190
- Free133
- Backed by google126
- Angular adaptor82
- Reliable67
- Great customer support35
- Great documentation31
- Real-time synchronization25
- Mobile friendly21
- Rapid prototyping18
- Great security14
- Automatic scaling12
- Freakingly awesome11
- Chat8
- Super fast development8
- Angularfire is an amazing addition!8
- Built in user auth/oauth6
- Firebase hosting6
- Awesome next-gen backend6
- Ios adaptor6
- Speed of light4
- Very easy to use4
- It's made development super fast3
- Brilliant for startups3
- Great3
- Free hosting2
- Cloud functions2
- JS Offline and Sync suport2
- Low battery consumption2
- .net2
- The concurrent updates create a great experience2
- I can quickly create static web apps with no backend2
- Great all-round functionality2
- Push notification2
- Free authentication solution2
- Simple and easy1
- Free SSL1
- Faster workflow1
- Easy Reactjs integration1
- Easy to use1
- Large1
- Google's support1
- Serverless1
- Good Free Limits1
- CDN & cache out of the box1
Pros of OneSignal
- Free of cost28
- More parametrable22
- Simple and Easy To Use. Well Documented :)17
- Device to device13
- Simple12
- Many Platforms9
- Great support9
- Free8
- Flexibility in working with web, android and iOS4
- Phonegap / Cordova / Ionic starters4
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Cons of Firebase
- Can become expensive31
- No open source, you depend on external company16
- Scalability is not infinite15
- Not Flexible Enough9
- Cant filter queries7
- Very unstable server3
- No Relational Data3
- Too many errors2
- No offline sync2
Cons of OneSignal
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