Software · head to head
Firebase Realtime Database vs Firestore
Firebase Realtime Database
Software
Store and sync data in real-time across all clients
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Firestore
Software
Flexible, scalable NoSQL cloud database from Firebase
- 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; 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: Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, Firestore covers Document Model.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Firebase Realtime Database and Firestore actually diverge.
| Attribute | Firebase Realtime Database | Firestore |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web, Ios, Android, Flutter |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2011).
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
- JSON Storage
- Data Validation
- Multi-platform SDKs
- Scalable
- Analytics
- Crashlytics
- AdMob
Only in Firestore
- Document Model
- Real-time Updates
- ACID Transactions
- Expressive Queries
- Multi-region
- BigQuery
- Data Connect
- Extensions
Both cover
- Offline Support
- Security Rules
- Firebase Auth
- Cloud Functions
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android 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 Firestore
- Backing mobile and web apps with offline capable data storagenot Firestore
- Prototyping realtime features such as presence and chatnot Firestore
Firestore
- Storing structured application data with realtime listenersnot Firebase Realtime Database
- Backing mobile and web apps with a serverless document databasenot Firebase Realtime Database
- Building offline first apps that sync when connectivity returnsnot 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
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
Firebase Realtime Database
Free- SparkFree
- 1GB storage
- 10GB/month download
- 100 simultaneous connections
- BlazeFree
- Pay as you go
- Unlimited storage
- Unlimited connections
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 Firebase Realtime Database if
- You need real-time sync.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want json storage.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Firebase Realtime Database or Firestore better?
- Neither clearly leads. Firebase Realtime Database 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, Firebase Realtime Database or Firestore?
- Firebase Realtime Database starts at Free and Firestore at Free.
- Does Firebase Realtime Database or Firestore run on more platforms?
- Firebase Realtime Database runs on Web, Ios, Android. Firestore runs on Web, Ios, Android, Flutter.
- 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 Firestore is typically brought in for.
- What can Firebase Realtime Database do that Firestore cannot?
- Firebase Realtime Database covers Real-time Sync, JSON Storage, Data Validation, Multi-platform SDKs. Firestore covers Document Model, Real-time Updates, ACID Transactions, Expressive Queries. Both handle Offline Support, Security Rules, Firebase Auth, Cloud Functions.