Firebase On Premise Alternatives

Are you looking for a Firebase On Premise alternative to deploy your backend server? Here is an in-depth analysis of the best option to run a Firebase-like solution on your own server.

On-premises and cloud-based are the two main types of hosting relied upon by users worldwide. Both have distinct benefits and limitations worth looking at.

According to Statista, the SaaS – Sofware as a Service revenue will reach $208 billion in 2023. It means a 36% increase versus 2021.

Despite this fact, on-premise software is also growing at a stunning rate. The State of On-Premises Report shows that 92% of companies say on-premise sales are growing, the demand equals public cloud adoption, and 91% of customers are satisfied with on-premise deployment. 

On-premise usage concentrates on healthcare, government agencies, banking, financial services, cybersecurity, and engineering.

Firebase Overview

Firebase is a widely-used development platform for mobile applications. Technology giant Google offers a range of powerful features for developing, deploying, and managing mobile applications. 

Firebase gives users various tools to develop applications; it’s a managed service and performs scalability upgrades based on requirements. The list includes real-time databases, cloud functions, authentications, storage, CLI, machine learning, etc.

Using a platform like Firebase includes reducing the time to build server-side software, not reinventing the wheel to developing boiler-plate code, and scaling without managing infrastructure.

Although it’s an excellent option for cloud hosting, Firebase does not offer on-premise deployment, and users cannot host Firebase on their own servers.

What is On-Premise Deployment?

On-premises deployment involves deploying application resources and software components stored in-house rather than in a cloud environment.

Even if cloud deployment has become a more popular option in recent years, many still prefer on-premises or require it due to regulatory requirements.

Advantages of On-Premise Deployment

• Single-time investment – Users only have to pay once for obtaining on-premises deployment infrastructure. It does not require additional costs, and businesses have full ownership of their infrastructure. 

• Risk is low – Businesses that use on-premise deployments can efficiently perform network maintenance and gain comprehensive control over resources. On-premises implementations allow users to set restrictions and monitor application activity round the clock. Users also get the ability to perform enhanced corporate data management. 

• Close control – Your own team members handle every part of your on-premises deployment, and it helps to have dedicated software deployment and management staff. The assured security and comprehensive control offered by on-premises hosting appeals to most business owners. 

Does Firebase Offer On-Premise Deployment?

Firebase is a solution built specifically for agile and efficient cloud computing, data storage, deployment, and app management. It does not provide users the option of on-premises deployment.

Firebase uses the same technology as Google Cloud for providing hosting services to its growing user base. Despite not offering on-premises services, it is one of the most secure and reliable cloud services available today.

Can I host Firebase locally?

Unfortunately no. Firebase is a proprietary technology from Google and only runs on Google Cloud.

Top 5 Firebase On-Premise Alternatives

These are the top 5 alternative on-premise options to Firebase.

Back4app 

Back4App is a reliable and open-source backend, and it is the first self-hosted Firebase option. It offers a high level of reliability and is scalable for developers. Back4App is a top choice for developing mobile, web, and Internet of Things applications. 

Features 

• Back4App has a feature-rich backend that lets users perform easy storage, synchronization, and update of application data. 
  
• Back4App users can take advantage of both Rest APIs and GraphQL APIs. 

• Back4app’s live queries feature enables developers to use queries to perform efficient real-time data storage and synchronization. 
  
• Back4App offers scalable hosting services for businesses that require on-demand scalability.  

Pricing 

• Free – The Back4App Starter plan comes with 1 Gb transfer and storage, along with a 250 Mb database and 25k requests. 

• Shared – Back4App Shared is a plan with daily backup and recovery, automatic scaling, multiple regions, and all-day monitoring. Users can opt for this plan at a monthly price range of $25 to $100.

• Dedicated – The Dedicated plan of Back4App offers a great deal of security, dedicated virtual machines, round-the-clock monitoring, and multiple clouds. Users have the option of the Dedicated Silver and Gold plans priced at $250 and $400, respectively. 

• On-Premise – This option is available under quotation. To know know, please fill the On-Premise Deployment Form.

Parse 

Parse is a backend as a service platform with software development kits for mobile backend development. It is suitable for creating apps for various mobile and web platforms. 

This widely-used open-source framework is suitable for fast and hassle-free Android, iOS, Windows, OS X, and JavaScript applications.

Parse has a vast community of developers who provide support to its users. It is a suitable option for developing flexible web and mobile backends that facilitate fluid user experiences.

Parse users can avoid having to perform a high level of server management. It comes with a vast array of features such as file storage, data storage, push notifications, and APIs.

Parse’s technology can be used across many applications such as social apps, CMS, streaming apps, e-commerce and IoT applications, payment apps, and more.

Features

• REST and GraphQL APIs – Parse lets its users develop dynamic and end-to-end REST/GraphQL application programming interfaces without spending much time and effort on coding.
  
• Real-Time Notifications – Parse enables users to send live queries that help developers and users update the records in real-time. 

• Push Notifications – Users receive automatic notifications from applications even when they are not actively using them. The push notifications feature is suitable for enhancing the marketing efforts of businesses. App owners can also use it to reach out to the users of their applications. Parse offers users the option of utilizing push notifications for Android and iOS devices. 
  
• Social Logins – Parse is known for its collection of social login features that are made available with third-party authentication. The Parse framework enables users to simplify authentication with popular websites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. 

Pricing

Free to download. The download is available at the Parse Github Page.

Dokku 

Dokku is a cutting-edge PaaS solution that enables developers to perform hassle-free application deployment and configuration on a different server’s production environment.

It uses the Linux container Docker for deployment management and allows users to perform efficient remote server deployments. 

Features

• Ease of use – Dokku offers an easy setup for users with a pre-installed image. Users can easily set up a server and start using it. 
  
• Open Source – Dokku is a popular open-source PaaS option based on Docker, and it makes use of Heroku Build Packs. Users can also enjoy technical support from Digital Ocean. 
  
• Free and convenient – Dokku is a free-to-use service and users only need to pay for a Digital Ocean plan for running it. They can start taking advantage of the server features once their application goes live. 

Pricing

Dokku is an open-source and free offering. Please download Dokku here.

Kuzzle

Kuzzle is a reliable open-source platform with API, multiple search plugins, an admin console, geofencing, a server, and several other features. It is a popular choice for web, mobile, and Internet of Things application development. 

Features 

• Kuzzle’s pub/sub is a real-time query language used for creating event-based applications. 

• It is an open-source offering but has a set of powerful features. 
  
• Kuzzle makes on-premises deployments possible through horizontal scaling. 

• You can download Kuzzle here.

Pricing

• Free – Kuzzle has a Free plan that helps users start using the platform’s basic features. 
  
• Support Plans – The company offers three support plans. Starter at €500/month, Business at €1,000/month, and Premium under quotation.

Backendless 

Backendless is a full-stack visual app development service. Users of the platform can take advantage of the cloud, dedicated, on-premises, and managed servers. 

Features 

• Backendless is a backend option with fantastic scalability.

• Caching is a feature for helping developers improve the speed at which apps work. 

• Centralized log file management is a Backendless feature that makes applications function more efficiently. 
  
• Geolocation lets developers create applications featuring geofencing and location awareness. 

Pricing

• Backendless Cloud – The Cloud plan provides features such as database tables, scaling, API calls, push notifications, and more. It starts for free, but prices can go up to $25/month. 

• Backendless Pro – Users can run this version and any environment and can download it here.
  
• Managed Backendless – Managed Backendless is a fully managed and flexible pricing plan that comes with an uptime guarantee, dedicated hosting, and all features of the platform. 

Conclusion

Firebase is an app development solution that runs on Google Cloud and provides users with features to accelerate backend development and scale infrastructure.

Firebase does not offer an on-premise version, and the platform only runs on GCP’s environment. Users can’t host Firebase locally.

This article explored five of the best on-premise alternatives to Firebase. The list includes Back4App, Parse, Kuzzle, Dokku, and Backendless.

FAQ