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Database & Data Management · head to head

DuckDB vs Firestore

DuckDB logo

DuckDB

Database & Data Management

Fast in-process analytical database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Firestore logo

Firestore

Database & Data Management

Flexible, scalable NoSQL cloud database from Firebase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DuckDB client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios; Firestore the no-cost Spark plan caps Standard edition at 50,000 document reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes per day
  • They diverge on capability: DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Firestore covers Document Model.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DuckDB and Firestore actually diverge.

Attributes where DuckDB and Firestore differ
AttributeDuckDBFirestore
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, WebAssemblyWeb, Ios, Android, Flutter
Founded20192011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).

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 DuckDB

  • In-process Execution
  • Columnar Storage
  • Vectorized Execution
  • Rich SQL Support
  • Parquet Support
  • CSV/JSON Import
  • Zero Dependencies
  • Python

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.

DuckDB

  • Analytics and data warehousingnot Firestore
  • OLAP queries and data explorationnot Firestore
  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot Firestore
  • Multi-format data ingestion and processingnot Firestore

Firestore

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

Where each one falls short

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

DuckDB

  • Client-server setup remains in beta and not recommended for production distributed scenarios

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

DuckDB

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DuckDB review.

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 DuckDB if

  • You need in-process execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly.
  • You also want columnar storage.
DuckDB 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 DuckDB or Firestore better?
Neither clearly leads. DuckDB 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, DuckDB or Firestore?
DuckDB starts at Free and Firestore at Free.
Does DuckDB or Firestore run on more platforms?
DuckDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, WebAssembly. Firestore runs on Web, Ios, Android, Flutter.
Can I use DuckDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DuckDB best used for?
DuckDB is most often used for analytics and data warehousing, olap queries and data exploration, data science and machine learning workflows, multi-format data ingestion and processing. Of those, analytics and data warehousing and olap queries and data exploration are not what Firestore is typically brought in for.
What can DuckDB do that Firestore cannot?
DuckDB covers In-process Execution, Columnar Storage, Vectorized Execution, Rich SQL Support. Firestore covers Document Model, Real-time Updates, Offline Support, ACID Transactions.
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