Firebase Database vs. MySQL

Firebase Database and MySQL are both used as the backend in the different application development platforms. These two database technologies are built differently, but they are both robust and reliable databases that companies can utilize.

So, which one should you choose? The choice might not be that simple, and below you’ll find a comprehensive study of the two databases. This should help you in decision-making.

What is Firebase?

Firebase Real-time Database (or simply Firebase) is a cloud-based NoSQL database. It stores and syncs data in real-time between users. Users can collaborate across different devices and develop serverless applications. 

Developed by Google, Firebase was launched in 2017, and it helps in quickly syncing data via iOS, Android, and JavaScript SDKs. This enables expressive queries that scale with the size of the result set.

Firebase also has a one-team reads feature that benefits users who do not need real-time data syncs. 

Firebase Advantages

• Free to start – Firebase lets users log in using their Google account, and it is free to start. The Spark Plan is free and offers myriad features to help developers get started. It has a generous database read and writes number limits. The Blaze Plan can be opted according to growing requirements, and it takes into consideration the original free limits. For example, if you host 20GB storage on the Blaze Plan, the free limit will cover 10GB, and you only have to pay for the extra storage of 10GB. 

• Development Speed – Firebase helps developers save time on app development and also reduces the time to market apps. By using Firebase and Firestore, frontend developers can manage all the work and decrease the time required to reach completion. Moreover, Firebase offers ready-to-use services that prevent developers from creating boilerplate codes or starting a backend from scratch. 

• Serverless – Firebase provides an entirely serverless environment that requires users to pay based on requests. This results in fewer concerns relating to scaling and better efficiency. 

Firebase Pricing Structure

Firebase operates under a free tier (Spark Plan) and a usage-based pricing model (Blaze Plan). The Spark Plan allows users to use Firebase’s free products and some of the paid features (with limited usage) at $0/month. 

Firebase operates under a free tier (Spark Plan) and a usage-based pricing model (Blaze Plan). The Spark Plan allows users to use Firebase’s free products and some paid features (with limited usage) at $0/month.

What is MySQL?

Developed by Oracle, MySQL is the most popular open-source database in the world. It works with various server operating systems, including Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Solaris, and OS X.

It is an open-source relational database management system, and it stores data in tables that are made of columns and rows. Using Structured Query Language (SQL), users can manipulate, define, control, and query data.

MySQL is a powerful and flexible program and a part of the LAMP technology stack used widely. It helps to store and also retrieve data in a wide range of popular websites, applications, and services.

MySQL Advantages

• MySQL offers On-demand scalability – Unmatched scalability to facilitate the management of deeply embedded applications utilizing a smaller footprint even in enormous warehouses that stack terabytes of data. One of the star features of MySQL is on-demand scalability, and this open-source solution offers complete personalization to eCommerce businesses with innovative database server requirements. 

• Data security – MySQL is renowned globally for being one of the most reliable and secure database management systems used in web apps like Joomla, WordPress, Facebook, Drupal, and Twitter. The data support and security for transactional processing that accompanies the latest version of MySQL can significantly benefit businesses, especially eCommerce businesses where frequent money transfers are involved. 

• Extensive transactional support – MySQL is on top of the list of powerful transactional database engines that are currently available on the market. With features like consistent, complete atomic, durable, and isolated transaction support, unrestricted row-level locking, multi-version transaction support, it is the ultimate solution for full data integrity. It ensures instant deadlock identification via server-enforced referential integrity. 

MySQL Pricing Structure

MySQL is free to download and you can start exploring the features at no cost. Also, the platform is available under managed services like DigitalOcean Databases or AWS RDS. You can customize the price package according to the resources that you need. 

Differences between Firebase and MySQL

The difference between Firebase and MySQL comes down to how a company handles and manages its data.

The predefined schemas of MySQL determine the structure of data and this can be a bit restrictive. But, the platform also makes manipulating and defining complex data a simple process.

Compared to Firebase, MySQL is better for multi-row transactions. On the other hand, Firebase is a satisfactory choice when it comes to managing huge data sets because NoSQL horizontally scales data and it is much faster than MySQL. 

Conclusion

Both MySQL and Firebase are databases that arrive at the same destination by taking different routes to get there.

Firebase is proficient in handling large data sets because it is a cloud-based NoSQL database. MySQL is much more capable of taming complicated data because it is an open-source RDMS.

Ultimately, you have to make your choice after thoroughly comparing both the databases and figuring out which one caters to your requirements the best. The final decision rests on your needs and budget. 

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