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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Firestore

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DepotFull review
Firestore logo

Firestore

Databases

Flexible, scalable NoSQL cloud database from Firebase

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit FirestoreFull review

The short version

  • Depot is a cloud-based CI/CD platform.
  • Firestore is free; Depot starts at $20/mo.
  • Only Depot lists Depot CI; only Firestore lists document Model.
  • Where Depot falls short: developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development.
  • Where Firestore falls short: the no-cost Spark plan caps Standard edition at 50,000 document reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes per day.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Firestore actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Firestore differ
AttributeDepotFirestore
PlatformsWeb, GitHub, APIWeb, iOS, Android, Flutter
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases
Founded20222011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Depot.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

Only in Firestore

  • Document Model
  • Real-time Updates
  • Offline Support
  • ACID Transactions
  • Expressive Queries
  • Multi-region
  • Security Rules
  • Firebase Auth

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Firestore
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Firestore
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Firestore
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Firestore

Firestore

  • Storing structured application data with realtime listenersnot Depot
  • Backing mobile and web apps with a serverless document databasenot Depot
  • Building offline first apps that sync when connectivity returnsnot Depot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Firestore

  • The no-cost Spark plan caps Standard edition at 50,000 document reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes per day
  • The Spark plan caps storage at 1 GiB and network egress at 10 GiB per month
  • Charging is per document read, so a query returning many documents bills for every one of them
  • Going beyond the free thresholds requires the pay as you go Blaze plan billed at Google Cloud rates with no fixed monthly ceiling

Pricing, plan by plan

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/mo
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/mo
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • BusinessOn request
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Firestore

Free
  • SparkFree
    • 1GB storage
    • 50K reads/day
    • 20K writes/day
  • BlazeFree
    • Pay as you go
    • Unlimited operations
    • Multi-region

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, GitHub, API.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Choose Firestore if

  • You need document model.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Flutter.
  • You also want real-time updates.
Firestore review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or Firestore better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and Firestore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or Firestore?
Depot starts at Free and Firestore at Free.
Does Depot or Firestore run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Web, GitHub, API. Firestore runs on Web, iOS, Android, Flutter.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what Firestore is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Firestore cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Firestore covers Document Model, Real-time Updates, Offline Support, ACID Transactions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Firestore: What are the free limits on Cloud Firestore?

The Spark Plan includes 1 GiB of stored data, 50,000 reads per day, 20,000 writes per day, and 20,000 deletes per day at no cost.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Firestore: What happens when I exceed the Spark Plan free tier?

Exceeding the free tier requires upgrading to the Blaze Plan, which bills based on actual usage through Google Cloud pricing. Charges apply for reads, writes, deletes, and data storage.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Firestore: Can I use Firestore without a credit card?

Yes, you can use the Spark Plan indefinitely without a credit card. To use the Blaze Plan (pay-as-you-go), a credit card is required.

Source
Firestore: Is there a trial period for Cloud Firestore?

No trial period is specified. The Spark Plan free tier serves as the trial, with no time limit.

Source
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