AWS Equivalent of Firebase

This article will explore the best AWS equivalent of Firebase solutions. It will explore the features and pricing of AWS Amplify and Back4app.

Firebase is a backend-as-a-Service (Baas) and offers developers a large variety of tools and services assisting them to develop quality applications and grow a user base. Built on Google’s infrastructure, the development platform is primarily known for the real-time database. 

It is categorized as a NoSQL database program storing data in JSON-like documents. Designed to make lives easier, it handles most of the pushing and pulling of data.

This relieves app developers of all programming burdens associated with the location or managing versions. The new bits can be written in Firebase and the data remains consistent throughout the system. 

Firebase is a culmination of evolution and was primarily positioned at the centre of mobile backend-as-a-service. It is available through Google and allows to divide workloads.

It extends the algorithms used to the entire network and treats the data stores as local versions of the big database. 

Firebase limitations

• Not open source

Firebase is not an open-source option and users are not able to modify Firebase source code as it is closed-source.

This is primarily the biggest limitation that prevents the community from improving the product and increases the flexibility level and self-hosting options.  

• Vendor lock-in

This is one of the biggest concerns that prevent users from making the app portable. Besides, users cannot even access the data as it is hosted on the Firebase server.

It is a situation wherein the customers are locked on a cloud provider technology without having any inability to switch to another vendor without incurring substantial costs, technical incompatibilities, and legal constraints. 

• Only NoSQL databases are available

It can be more complex to organize, and forms a tree-shaped structure, making it difficult to navigate and search. Complex queries may be challenging using Firebase databases.  

What is the AWS equivalent of Firebase?

AWS Amplify is the AWS equivalent of Firebase. It is a set of features and tools which lets the frontend web and mobile developers to develop applications on AWS. This is done with the ease to increase the bandwidth of AWS services with the evolution of use cases. 

It lets you configure a mobile app or a web backend and connect the app in only a few minutes while visually building a UI.

It also lets you manage content outside the AWS console. By enabling faster shipping and scaling it effortlessly, it does not require any cloud functions expertise. 

It incorporates the development workflows from version control to code testing to production deployment.

The open-source framework comprises UI components, a group of libraries, and a Command Line Interface helping an application backend while integrating it with the frontend applications. 

Features of AWS Amplify

Amplify supports popular web frameworks helping to create mobile and web application that includes Angular, JavaScript, Next.js, Vue, React Native, Flutter, and Ionic, and communicates easily with AWS services through Amplify framework. 

Here are a few of the top features of AWS Amplify:

• Authentication

Amplify enables users to quickly set up authentication workflows and user management as powered by Amazon Cognito. The Admin UI or the Amplify CLI can be easily configured to feature configuration authentication workflow within the application. 

• Datastore

This is an on-device storage engine enabling easier working with distributed cross-user data. It synchronizes data between the mobile and web apps along with the AWS cloud database, further assisting you to develop real-time and offline applications. 

• Quick backend updates

Thanks to the serverless nature, incorporating changes within backend-related functionality is a lot easier. It helps to save the user’s time which was otherwise involved in maintaining the features of the backend. 

• Analytics

AWS Amplify offers auto-tracking features, enabling easier tracking of user sessions and website metrics. Users can access real-time data streams to analyse information and develop data-driven marketing strategies and leverage engagement, customer experience, and retention rates. 

• Interaction

Users can build interactive and interesting conversational bots with one line of code and the same DL technologies powering Amazon Alexa. 

Pricing

Users need to pay for the services in use. The Amplify Framework used is for free. You only pay for two features, such as building & deploying, and hosting the services.

For deploy and build features, the price per build minute is $0.01. On the other hand, the hosting features charge $0.15, and storage per GB is $0.023. 

Is there another Firebase alternative using AWS infrastructure?

Yes, Back4app is another Firebase alternative using AWS as the underlying infrastructure. 

Overview of Back4app

It is one of the best open sources backends as a Service provider that helps developers to develop scalable and extensible mobile and web applications.

The fully managed backend as a service comes up with easy scaling and provisioning of server-based applications. 

Features of Back4app

• Spreadsheet-like database

Back4app supports a spreadsheet such as a database solution, which is an easier way for developers to update, create and sync the data of applications.

Back4app lets the users export the JSON/CSV files with only one click by using the dashboard. Managing and controlling the data with the database is faster and easier. 

• REST and GraphQL APIs

It offers multiple features for accomplishing the backend goals in the best possible manner. Back4app plays a crucial role to convert any coded login in an API by using REST API and SDKs.

It offers an opportunity to view the REST endpoints of API with ease. The feature assists users to call any method while inspecting the response of the added services efficiently. 

• Scalable hosting

Most of the time, the workload tends to vary based on various factors. The feature lets the developer scale the hosting services when required. It lets users experience the best performance while receiving push notifications. 

Pricing

Thanks to the affordable pricing plans, one can start with a free account. Creating and using the free account can help acquire a test drive and develop a personal project easily.

Being scalable and flexible, it lets you scale the resources when required. Besides, it also offers shared and dedicated resources that let you choose as per the need of the application. The shared services start at $25 monthly, and the dedicated plan starts from $500 monthly.

Comparison Firebase vs AWS Amplify vs Back4app

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