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Databases · head to head

Firestore vs Knack

Firestore logo

Firestore

Databases

Flexible, scalable NoSQL cloud database from Firebase

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Knack logo

Knack

Databases

Hosted no-code database and web app builder priced by stored records and storage, with unlimited user accounts on every plan.

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Firestore has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Firestore the no-cost Spark plan caps Standard edition at 50,000 document reads, 20,000 writes and 20,000 deletes per day; Knack plans are capped by stored records, so an application that logs events or keeps history rather than current state climbs tiers on data volume alone, and archiving old records becomes a permanent maintenance chore rather than a one-off.
  • They diverge on capability: Firestore covers Document Model, Knack covers Visual database builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firestore and Knack actually diverge.

Attributes where Firestore and Knack differ
AttributeFirestoreKnack
Starting priceFree$59/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, FlutterWeb
Founded2011Unknown

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

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 Firestore

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

Only in Knack

  • Visual database builder
  • User logins and roles
  • Page builder
  • Unlimited users
  • E-commerce
  • Automation flows
  • Scheduled tasks
  • REST API and webhooks

What people use each for

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

Firestore

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

Knack

  • A member or client portal where thousands of external people need their own login and see only their own recordsnot Firestore
  • Replacing a shared spreadsheet used by a team that has outgrown it but cannot justify a developer to build a bespoke internal toolnot Firestore
  • Inventory, asset or case tracking for a small operations team that needs roles, forms and a record of who changed whatnot Firestore
  • A registration or booking application for an association, school or non-profit where the user count is large and the record count stays modestnot Firestore

Where each one falls short

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

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

Knack

  • Plans are capped by stored records, so an application that logs events or keeps history rather than current state climbs tiers on data volume alone, and archiving old records becomes a permanent maintenance chore rather than a one-off.
  • API access is capped per day, at 1,000 calls on the entry plan and 10,000 at the Corporate tier, so a scheduled sync or a busy automation can exhaust the day's quota before the working day ends and integrations then fail silently.
  • The application itself cannot be exported or self-hosted; records can be downloaded but the pages, roles, flows and business logic exist only inside Knack, so outgrowing the platform means rebuilding the app rather than moving it.
  • Customisation beyond the builder is limited to injected CSS and JavaScript that Knack's support does not cover, so any non-standard interface behaviour becomes yours to maintain against a DOM the vendor can change without warning.
  • Compliance capabilities that regulated buyers assume are baseline, HIPAA and GovCloud options, advanced SSO, IP restrictions and private environments, are gated to the Corporate and Enterprise tiers, so a small regulated pilot cannot legitimately start on an entry plan.

Pricing, plan by plan

Firestore

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

Knack

$59/month
  • Starter$59/month
    • 20,000 database records
    • Unlimited users, tables, fields
    • 25 AI credits
  • Pro$130/month
    • 50,000 database records
    • Remove Knack branding
    • E-commerce payments
  • Corporate$300/month
    • 125,000-2.5M database records
    • App restore functionality
    • Advanced SSO
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • HIPAA/GovCloud-based options
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Knack if

  • You need visual database builder.
  • You also want user logins and roles.
Knack review

Questions people ask

Is Firestore or Knack better?
Neither clearly leads. Firestore starts at Free and Knack at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firestore or Knack?
Firestore has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Firestore and $59/month for Knack.
Does Firestore or Knack run on more platforms?
Firestore runs on Web, Ios, Android, Flutter. Knack runs on Web.
Can I use Firestore for free?
Yes. Firestore has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Knack starts at $59/month.
What is Firestore best used for?
Firestore is most often used for storing structured application data with realtime listeners, backing mobile and web apps with a serverless document database, building offline first apps that sync when connectivity returns. Of those, storing structured application data with realtime listeners and backing mobile and web apps with a serverless document database are not what Knack is typically brought in for.
What can Firestore do that Knack cannot?
Firestore covers Document Model, Real-time Updates, Offline Support, ACID Transactions. Knack covers Visual database builder, User logins and roles, Page builder, Unlimited users.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Knack: Is Knack charged per user?

No. User accounts are unlimited on all plans. Plans are bounded by stored record count, file storage, API calls per day and automation transactions.

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
Knack: What happens when I exceed the record limit?

You move to a higher tier or reduce stored records. Because the limit is on data rather than people, apps that accumulate history hit it while apps that track a fixed set of entities generally do not.

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
Knack: Can I export my application or self-host it?

You can export record data. The application itself, its pages, roles, permissions and flows, is not exportable and cannot be self-hosted, so leaving means rebuilding elsewhere.

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
Knack: Is it suitable for public-facing portals?

That is its strongest case, because logins are unlimited and role-based permissions are built in. The constraint is record volume and API throughput, not audience size.

Knack: Can I use it for regulated data?

HIPAA-aligned and government cloud options exist but only on the Enterprise tier, along with private server environments. Lower tiers should not be used for regulated workloads.

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