AWS Amplify vs Firebase – Which is better?

Technology is evolving with every passing day. And over time, mobile consumers are also demanding more and more features and top-notch technology in their applications. Social integrations to easier data management and cloud storage want everything to make a great application with ease.

Due to more requirements of feature-rich applications, it seems complicated for developers to manage development processes. But the reality is not the same anymore. The arrival of functional back-end as a service platforms is helping developers accelerate their development process. 

Are you ready to know more about Firebase vs AWS Amplify? Keep on reading.

Key Takeaways

• Similarities rely on features like realtime updates, scalable architecture, NoSQL databases, and authentication

• Firebase offers an end-to-end development environment

• Amplify is more flexible and integrate with multiple AWS services like AppSync, Amazon DynamoDB, Lambda Functions, S3, etc.

What is AWS Amplify?

AWS Amplify is an effective application development framework that can help you develop efficient mobile and web applications. Amazon web services back this platform. This platform is an open-source javascript library to simplify web and mobile application development processes.

AWS Amplify is a set of libraries, user interface components, and command-line interfaces that can help you build backend your application. You can easily integrate its backend features with your application’s built-in Android, React Native, iOS, or web frameworks such as Ionic, Angular, or react. It offers a complete stack development without stress about background configurations or iterations.

Furthermore, AWS Amplify aims to provide a fantastic end-to-end platform that will let you create and maintain cloud-enabled applications that can effectively deliver native-like experiences. When the backend is serverless, developers will ultimately get more time to focus on their applications’ core functionalities and user experience.

This approach will offer more time and energy to developers to focus on application experience and efficiency rather than spending hours on the processes of configuration, maintenance, and performance of their backend services.

All and all, AWS Amplify is based on a set of components and services that can help developers streamline their mobile and web applications’ development processes in the best possible way.

AWS Key Features

• Data Store
• Offline Sync
• Authentication
• AR and VR
• Analytics
• Notifications
• API (REST and GraphQL)

AWS Amplify Pricing

Pricing for Amplify is similar to other AWS products, and it includes a limited Free tier and a Pay as you go model for additional usage.

• Free Tier: 5GB storage, 1,000 builds, expires after 12 months

• Pay as you go: $0.01 per build minute, $0.023/GB/month

Benefits of AWS Amplify 

Do you want to know the benefits of AWS Amplify, making it a great BaaS solution? Have a look at the following benefits to get a better idea about the things in this regard:

• Works with an Open-Source Framework

• Fully integrated with AWS Cloud

• Offline synchronization via the device datastore

• Works with GraphQL and REST APIs

• AWS amplify offers an easier and faster way to develop cloud-connected, full-stack web and mobile applications

• This platform is entirely scalable. More amazingly, you only have to pay for the services you need in your application. There is no need to pay extra

• AWS Amplify leverages services like AppSync and AWS Lambda, which will keep you away from the stressful processes of managing hosting and infrastructure for your applications

• It offers a modern user-interface-driven approach to create easier and scalable applications

• AR/VR, appealing text and voice interfaces, and 3D scenes can let you enjoy better user management

• It makes application development faster with built-in support for the management and deployment of backend services

• Enjoy the best native-like experience without even paying high

• Automated mobile application test to release new features and updates rapidly. 

What is Google Firebase?

Firebase is an excellent BaaS platform that has grown as a next-generation application development solution on the Google Cloud Platform. Firebase can free developers to focus more on crafting a fantastic user experience with its highly innovative solutions. 

When you use Firebase as your BaaS solution, you don’t have to manage servers. Even there is no need to write your APIs. It is because Firebase is an all-in-one solution for you to consider. It is your API, datastore, as well as a server too.

Most amazingly, the entire backend functions here are written so generically that you can modify them to suit your application needs with ease. However, you might occasionally need some other Google Cloud bits in your advanced applications. Other than that, it can perform well in every aspect.

Firebase is based on the latest technology that can let you enjoy swift and more accessible development of web and mobile applications, which can be run on multiple platforms, including iOS, web, and Android.

Firebase solution is dominating and innovating the market of BaaS solutions continuously. It has grown to the extent that it has become a key component of Google’s mobile strategy.

Many developers are enthusiast users of this platform due to its advanced solutions. Firebase leads developers to create some of the most unique and advanced applications with its diverse range of features.

Firebase Key Features

Firebase offers the following features:

• Realtime database
• Cloud Firestore
• Machine Learning
• Hosting
• Analytics
• Authentication
• Push Notifications

Firebase Pricing

Firebase provides two plans for their customers. The Spark Plan is ideal for developing applications and small apps and provides a Free Tier. The Blaze plan works with a Pay as you go model and charge. You all the limits exceeded over the free tier.

• Spark Plan, Free Tier, ideal for development and small apps

• Blaze Plan, pay as you go model, and ideal for large production apps

Benefits of Firebase 

Here are some of the most amazing benefits of firebase as a Backend as a Service solution which you must consider:

• Best in class real-time capabilities

• Seamless and easy to use console

• Fully integrated No-SQL datastore

• It’s easy to build applications, and the learning curve is small

• Proprietary platform backed by Google

• This BaaS solution can offer a complete host of various essential services to creating and maintaining web and mobile applications

• Firebase provides highly flexible and scalable backend solutions you can easily rely on

• It can offer you a fantastic range of highly innovative and practical solutions to implement multiple features. You can also mix and match its complementary features to fulfill your application’s needs in the best possible way

• It provides intuitive APIs in a single SDK that easily lets you meet multiple users’ requirements

• Effective analytical solutions of Firebase can also help developers and companies to make data-driven and intelligent decisions

• Firebase can also allow developers to deliver effective cross-platform applications and APIs even in a single package

Similarities between AWS Amplify and Google Firebase

• Both are app development platforms

• Pay by the usage pricing

• Free tier available

• Scalable architecture

• Designed for mobile and web apps

• Both services deliver Realtime updates

• Authentication

• Machine Learning

Amplify vs Firebase | Key Differences

Please refer to to the table below to better understand the differences between Firebase vs Amplify.

Conclusion

This article explained the differences and similarities between Firebase and AWS Amplify.

AWS Amplify is an open-source framework fully integrated with AWS, works with GraphQL and multiple databases, and allows mobile and web development.

Firebase is a BaaS service from Google; it provides NoSQL databases fully integrated with a REST API, its very easy to use, fully managed, and scalable.

The core differences between both platforms rely on the database implementation, APIs protocols, and cloud services each platform runs on top.

Hopefully you enjoyed knowing AWS Amplify vs Google Firebase differences! To learn more about cloud platforms, please read the article Heroku vs Netlify.