Database & Data Management · head to head
Firebase Realtime Database vs Amazon Aurora
Firebase Realtime Database
Database & Data Management
Store and sync data in real-time across all clients
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Amazon Aurora
Database & Data Management
MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Firebase Realtime Database the no-cost Spark plan caps storage at 1 GB, downloads at 10 GB per month and simultaneous connections at 100; Amazon Aurora aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services
- They diverge on capability: Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Firebase Realtime Database and Amazon Aurora actually diverge.
| Attribute | Firebase Realtime Database | Amazon Aurora |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | AWS Cloud |
| Founded | 2011 | 2006 |
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 Firebase Realtime Database
- Real-time Sync
- Offline Support
- JSON Storage
- Security Rules
- Data Validation
- Multi-platform SDKs
- Scalable
- Firebase Auth
Only in Amazon Aurora
- MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible
- 5x MySQL Performance
- Auto-scaling Storage
- Global Database
- Serverless v2
- Multi-master
- Fault Tolerant
- AWS Lambda
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Firebase Realtime Database
- Syncing JSON application state between clients in real timenot Amazon Aurora
- Backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storagenot Amazon Aurora
- Prototyping realtime features such as presence and chatnot Amazon Aurora
Amazon Aurora
- Transaction processingnot Firebase Realtime Database
- Data storagenot Firebase Realtime Database
- Application backendnot Firebase Realtime Database
- Reportingnot Firebase Realtime Database
- Data analyticsnot Firebase Realtime Database
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Firebase Realtime Database
- The no-cost Spark plan caps storage at 1 GB, downloads at 10 GB per month and simultaneous connections at 100
- The Spark plan does not support multiple databases in a project
- Even on the paid Blaze plan simultaneous connections are capped at 200,000 per database
- Billing is by data transferred out at $1 per GB plus $5 per GB stored, so chatty clients cost more than the data volume suggests
Amazon Aurora
- Aurora requires AWS ecosystem knowledge and integration with other AWS services
- Pricing can become expensive with high-traffic applications using many read replicas
- Limited support for non-relational data types compared to NoSQL alternatives
Pricing, plan by plan
Firebase Realtime Database
Free- SparkFree
- 1GB storage
- 10GB/month download
- 100 simultaneous connections
- BlazeFree
- Pay as you go
- Unlimited storage
- Unlimited connections
Amazon Aurora
Free- Serverless v2$0.12/hour
- Auto-scaling
- Pay per ACU
- Instant scaling
- Provisioned$29/month
- Dedicated instances
- Predictable performance
- Reserved capacity
Which should you pick?
Choose Firebase Realtime Database if
- You need real-time sync.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want offline support.
Choose Amazon Aurora if
- You need mysql/postgresql compatible.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on AWS Cloud.
- You also want 5x mysql performance.
Questions people ask
- Is Firebase Realtime Database or Amazon Aurora better?
- Neither clearly leads. Firebase Realtime Database starts at Free and Amazon Aurora at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Firebase Realtime Database or Amazon Aurora?
- Firebase Realtime Database starts at Free and Amazon Aurora at Free.
- Does Firebase Realtime Database or Amazon Aurora run on more platforms?
- Firebase Realtime Database runs on Web, Ios, Android. Amazon Aurora runs on AWS Cloud.
- Can I use Firebase Realtime Database for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Firebase Realtime Database best used for?
- Firebase Realtime Database is most often used for syncing json application state between clients in real time, backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storage, prototyping realtime features such as presence and chat. Of those, syncing json application state between clients in real time and backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storage are not what Amazon Aurora is typically brought in for.
- What can Firebase Realtime Database do that Amazon Aurora cannot?
- Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, Offline Support, JSON Storage, Security Rules. Amazon Aurora covers MySQL/PostgreSQL Compatible, 5x MySQL Performance, Auto-scaling Storage, Global Database. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amazon Aurora: Is Amazon Aurora compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL?
Yes, Amazon Aurora offers MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility with full compatibility to their open-source counterparts, allowing you to migrate existing databases with standard tools.
SourceAmazon Aurora: What uptime SLA does Amazon Aurora provide?
Aurora is designed for up to 99.99% single-region uptime and 99.999% multi-region uptime with automatic failover.
SourceAmazon Aurora: How much does Amazon Aurora cost?
Aurora uses serverless, usage-based pricing where you pay only for consumed capacity. Typical pricing ranges from $50-70 per month for minimal setups to $400-600 per month for small production clusters.
SourceAmazon Aurora: Can Amazon Aurora scale automatically?
Yes, Aurora automatically scales to match workload demands without performance degradation, supporting both read and write scaling.
SourceAmazon Aurora: How many read replicas does Aurora support?
Aurora supports up to 15 low-latency read replicas for distributing read traffic across your application.
Source