Top 3 Firebase Alternatives in China

Firebase has transformed web and mobile app development through its outstanding Backend as a Service solution.

This all-in-one Google-backed platform empowers dev teams to robustly create highly interactive web, Android and iOS applications.

With this BaaS solution, you don’t have to write the long script from scratch and govern obscure protocols. 

Realtime Database, Cloud Firestore, push notifications, FCM, auto-scaling, auth, cloud functions, and Crashlytics are traits that give Firebase an edge over rivals.

Similarly, the free-tier package and user-friendly dashboard make this BaaS vendor perfect for startups and inexperienced developers.  

However, most Google services are inaccessible in China; sadly, Firebase is one of them. Indeed, Firebase doesn’t operate in Mainland China.

So, if your app targets the Chinese market, you should consider using these Firebase alternatives. 

Best 3 Alternatives to Firebase that Work in China 

For sure, Firebase is not the last destination when it comes to BaaS vendors. It has drawbacks like unavailability of servers in China, vendor lock-in and much more.

Thus, businesses can simply employ options like Back4app, Parse Platform and AWS as credible Firebase alternatives for China. 

Fortunately, this article will discuss these similar Firebase BaaS solutions in detail for Chinese programming communities. Besides, these alternatives benefit businesses targeting Chinese audiences through their apps.

Back4app

Back4app is one of the finest open-source Firebase alternatives in China. This Backend as a Service (BaaS) provider has an easy-to-use interface that lets you approach all functionalities on a single dashboard.

Yes, creating, deploying and launching apps using Database, Cloud Code, App Settings, and API categories available on the control panel is seamless.

In short, with various advanced features like push notifications, a real-time database and active community support, Back4app is a legitimate Firebase alternative for Mainland China. Moreover, its seamless integrations with third-party tools help in building apps swiftly. 

Back4app presents three types of plans for China:

• Servers in Mainland China (ICP & Chinese Business License is mandatory) 
• Servers in Hong Kong
• Offers customized plans

To get more information regarding Back4app’s China plans, click here. By the way, this China Hosting Form takes 60 seconds to fill out. 

Let’s delve into the critical traits of Back4app:

• Real-time Database – This BaaS solution offers users a real-time database similar to Cloud Firestore. With this feature, you can conduct geo and relational queries within seconds. Furthermore, it has the ability to deliver data spontaneously, benefiting from the ‘Live Queries’ function. Seamless illustration of data models through SDKs, APIs and built-in UIs is another advantage of using Back4app.

• Cloud Functions – Serverless functions promise great flexibility by supporting multiple programming languages and technologies. With adding business logic to your application, Cloud Functions are also known for their cost-efficient nature. Yes, this infrastructure lets you only pay for consumed instances. 

• Authentication – Backend services sound incomplete without user management systems. Fortunately, Back4app has a remarkable ready-to-use authentication system. Hereof, you can explore features like password encryption, email examination, session management, etc. 

• APIs Support – You can develop and deploy the backend of an application on the fly with the help of REST and GraphQL APIs. You can get assistance from 7 commonly utilized backend languages in this regard. Also, 10 native SDKs exist to speed up the development process. 

• Storage – Whether you need decentralized networking storage through Blockchain or want to backlog data on the cloud, Back4app delivers both. Its CDN empowers you to save all types of data quickly. Similarly, the option of Blockchain storage is accessible within a few clicks. 

• Push Notifications – This is a powerful communication tool that Firebase and Back4app offer. Push notifications are basically assembled to validate email addresses and engage customers. Undoubtedly, you can attain and retain more customers when you get their attention through highly tailored popup messages and emails. 

• Community & Customer Support – Around 190k developers from 200 countries worldwide trust this backend development service. It signifies this BaaS platform holds ample community support. You can utilize Slack, YouTube, Stack Overflow and Twitter for further assistance. By the same token, 24/7 customer support through email and telephone also gives Back4app an edge over Firebase.

Parse

Parse is another Backend as a Service (BaaS) provider that Meta accrued in 2013. However, it has been working as an open-source Parse Server since 2016.

Indeed, you can utilize the Parse framework on the top of China-based servers via self-hosting. In this regard, Parse Platform supports Express and Node.js to deal with server-side operations and it’s great for web and mobile applications.

Moreover, it enables the dev teams to benefit from the file storage system of Amazon S3 and doesn’t confine the cloud functions and number of queries. Unlike Firebase, Parse authorizes custom code development and smoothly works in China. 

Here are the core features of the Parse Platform:

• SDKs & Libraries – The open-source libraries and SDKs facilitate the developers in seamlessly building and deploying applications. You can find all links related to Android, Parse Server, JavaScript, PHP, Cloud Code, APIs and Flutter on the homepage. 

• Authentication – Third-party and OAuth are the significant ways of user authentication while using Parse. Luckily, Parse enables authentication through prominent Chinese networking platforms, including Weibo, WeChat and QQ. 

• Push Notifications – Parse delivers push notifications for iOS, Android, tvOS and macOS devices. Hereof, this BaaS vendor utilizes FCM and APNS to send messages to Android and Apple devices, respectively. In addition, you can easily design and issue customized push notifications as well. 

• Security – Parse Platform complies with Chinese laws and promises standard security for backends. Features like Access Control Lists (ACLs) and Class-Level Permissions (CLPs) are essential in avoiding safety compromises. 

• Documentation – This BaaS solution offers detailed documentation for setting up Parse Servers and SDK tools. In this way, you can choose PostgreSQL as the database and operate Parse on your Chinese server. For backend functionalities, dev teams can use NodeJS.  

• Community Support – Ample community support makes Parse a popular alternative to Firebase in China. You can conveniently find hundreds of open-source resources and answers to your Parse-related queries online. By the way, it also runs a Parse Community forum where coders can discuss their issues with experienced developers. 

• Tested & Scalable – As we know, Facebook has already tested this BaaS solution for its tech stacks. So, it seems a reliable option for startups, SMEs, and large enterprises. On the contrary, it lets the developers extend and reduce instances at any time. 

AWS China

AWS is one of the leading cloud computing providers, delivering services to 245 countries with 99 availability zones.

This highly scalable platform covers Mainland China with its ‘AWS China’ offerings. Yes, AWS China is a top Firebase alternative in China with a local API gateway, EC2, CloudWatch Log and many other services. 

In this regard, AWS complies with Chinese laws, ICP, local regulatory standards, taxation and billing. You can get cloud computing services for the following regions:

• AWS China (Beijing) Region 
• AWS China (Ningxia) Region
• AWS Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) Region

So, whether you are a startup or a large-scale enterprise, you can utilize all Amazon Web Services to grab the Chinese market.

With regional products, AWS supplies all computing, networking, storage, IoT, ML, and database products for China-based apps.

Let’s talk about the critical properties of AWS China:

• EC2 Instances – This China hosting solution offers 750+ instances and backing for renowned processors, including Arm, Intel and AMD. Mainly, to keep your development secure, you can combine AWS Nitro System with EC2. Similarly, 99.99% uptime and easy scalability enhance this AWS product’s significance. 

• API Gateway – If you want an entirely managed API service, you shouldn’t ignore API Gateway. It permits you to build and maintain WebSocket and RESTful APIs with outstanding security. Indeed, this feature is supported by IAM and Amazon Cognito to improve safety. 

• S3 Storage – This object storage product enables dev teams to backlog and access data anytime. S3 Storage has the ability to store all sizes of data. Adidas, Snapchat and Shutterstock are successfully using S3 Storage of AWS.

• Authentication – AWS China confers user management and authentication functionalities for all major client-side libraries and frameworks. Hereof, you can utilize built-in signup templates and robust authorization using AWS Amplify, Studio and CLI. 

• Database – Amazon Web Services is known for its excellent real-time database offerings for performance-intensive applications. Likewise, it grants Amazon Aurora the ability to provide fully-administered database functionalities. Aurora also has excellent compatibility with PostgreSQL and MySQL. Moreover, Amazon DocumentDB, Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon ElastiCache are exciting products.

• Networking – Amazon CloudFront, VPC, Transit Gateway, and ELB fulfill the needs of content delivery and networking. With this trait, you can operate your app on the cloud safely and efficiently. 

Firebase Alternatives for China Comparison

Conclusion

Choosing a suitable Firebase alternative in China is a challenging job. Mainly when you have limited BaaS options in hand.

Thus, this article displays one of the most reliable Firebase-like services for China with a detailed overview and features. 

Hopefully, you will employ the right cloud computing solution for your China-centric projects.

For a complete list of Firebase alternatives, please read the article A Compressive List of Firebase Alternatives.