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Mobile Development · head to head

Firebase vs Sencha

Firebase logo

Firebase

Mobile Development

Google's platform for building web and mobile applications with cloud backend

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sencha logo

Sencha

Mobile Development

Idera-owned, commercially licensed JavaScript framework for enterprise web and hybrid mobile apps

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Firebase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Firebase spark plan limited to 1 GiB storage, 50,000 daily reads, 20,000 daily writes; Sencha it is the only commercially licensed framework in this category; a per-developer fee applies where Ionic, Capacitor, NativeScript, MAUI and Kotlin Multiplatform all cost nothing.
  • They diverge on capability: Firebase covers Real-time Database, Sencha covers Enterprise grid components.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firebase and Sencha actually diverge.

Attributes where Firebase and Sencha differ
AttributeFirebaseSencha
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumOne-time purchase, per developer
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, Web, Flutter, C++, UnityWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Mobile Development).

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

  • Real-time Database
  • REST API
  • Authentication
  • Google Cloud
  • Cloud functions
  • Cloud Storage
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

Only in Sencha

  • Enterprise grid components
  • Component library breadth
  • Cross-browser legacy support
  • Sencha Architect
  • Cmd build tooling
  • Mobile packaging

What people use each for

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

Firebase

  • Mobile app backend developmentnot Sencha
  • Real-time data synchronisationnot Sencha
  • Web application backendnot Sencha
  • Cross-platform app developmentnot Sencha

Sencha

  • An enterprise building a data-grid-heavy internal application where pre-built pivot tables and complex grids save real development timenot Firebase
  • A team maintaining a long-lived legacy Ext JS codebase that predates the free-framework eranot Firebase
  • An organisation needing guaranteed vendor support and licensed indemnity rather than community-supported open sourcenot Firebase
  • A regulated industry buyer whose procurement process requires a commercially licensed vendor relationshipnot Firebase

Where each one falls short

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

Firebase

  • Spark plan limited to 1 GiB storage, 50,000 daily reads, 20,000 daily writes
  • Spark plan restricts to 100 concurrent database connections
  • Spark plan limits Firebase Studio to 3 workspaces maximum
  • Document size capped at 1 MiB per document
  • Transaction time limited to 270 seconds with 60-second idle expiration
  • Maximum 100 databases per project (increase requires support request)

Sencha

  • It is the only commercially licensed framework in this category; a per-developer fee applies where Ionic, Capacitor, NativeScript, MAUI and Kotlin Multiplatform all cost nothing.
  • Its mobile story is secondary to its web-grid heritage, so teams primarily building consumer mobile apps get less mobile-specific benefit than from a purpose-built mobile framework.
  • Idera has acquired numerous developer tool brands, and product investment across a large portfolio company is not guaranteed to prioritise any single acquired product indefinitely.
  • The developer hiring pool for Ext JS specifically has shrunk as React and Angular dominate new development, making it harder to staff new projects.
  • Community plugins, tutorials and Stack Overflow activity are far thinner than for any free, widely adopted framework in this category, so troubleshooting relies more on paid support than public resources.

Pricing, plan by plan

Firebase

Free
  • SparkFree
    • No-cost usage with daily-refreshing quotas
    • Cloud Firestore: up to 1 GB storage, 20K writes/day, 50K reads/day
    • Cloud Functions: up to 2M invocations/month, 400K GB-seconds/month
  • Blaze$null/variable
    • Pay-as-you-go usage beyond free tier
    • Cloud Firestore: $5/GB after 1 GB, writes beyond 20K/day at overage rates
    • Cloud Functions: $0.40 per million invocations beyond 2M/month, $0.12/GB for outbound networking beyond 5 GB/month

Sencha

On request
  • Ext JS$1895/year
    • Per-developer licence, with maintenance and support renewal
    • 30-day free evaluation trial available
    • OEM licensing available separately for redistribution

Which should you pick?

Choose Firebase if

  • You need real-time database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, Flutter, C++, Unity.
  • You also want rest api.
Firebase review

Choose Sencha if

  • You need enterprise grid components.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want component library breadth.
Sencha review

Questions people ask

Is Firebase or Sencha better?
Neither clearly leads. Firebase starts at Free and Sencha at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firebase or Sencha?
Firebase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Firebase and On request for Sencha.
Does Firebase or Sencha run on more platforms?
Firebase runs on iOS, Android, Web, Flutter, C++, Unity. Sencha runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Firebase for free?
Yes. Firebase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sencha starts at On request.
What is Firebase best used for?
Firebase is most often used for mobile app backend development, real-time data synchronisation, web application backend, cross-platform app development. Of those, mobile app backend development and real-time data synchronisation are not what Sencha is typically brought in for.
What can Firebase do that Sencha cannot?
Firebase covers Real-time Database, REST API, Authentication, Google Cloud. Sencha covers Enterprise grid components, Component library breadth, Cross-browser legacy support, Sencha Architect.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Firebase: What are Firebase's free tier limits?

Firebase Spark plan includes no-cost daily-refreshing quotas: Cloud Firestore up to 1 GB storage with 20K writes and 50K reads per day; Cloud Functions up to 2M invocations monthly; Cloud Storage 5 GB-months with 100 GB downloads monthly; Hosting 10 GB storage and 360 MB daily data transfer; Realtime Database up to 1 GB storage. No payment method required.

Source
Sencha: Is any part of Sencha free?

A 30-day evaluation trial is available; production use requires a purchased per-developer licence.

Firebase: How much does Firebase Blaze plan cost?

Firebase Blaze is pay-as-you-go beyond free tier limits. Pricing includes Cloud Firestore storage at $5/GB after 1 GB; Cloud Functions $0.40 per million invocations beyond 2M monthly; Cloud Storage $0.026/GB beyond 5 GB; Hosting $0.15/GB beyond 360 MB daily. New eligible customers receive $300 free credit.

Source
Sencha: Who owns Sencha?

Idera, Inc., a private software holding company that also owns Xray and Xporter, two other Atlassian ecosystem products.

Firebase: Which Firebase services are always free regardless of tier?

A/B Testing, Analytics, App Check, Cloud Messaging, and Crashlytics are offered at no cost on both Spark and Blaze plans, with no usage limits stated.

Source
Sencha: Is Sencha mainly a mobile framework?

No. Its core strength is data-heavy enterprise web UI, particularly grids; mobile packaging is a secondary capability.

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