Unlocking the Power of Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS): Firebase vs. Supabase
In the world of web and mobile development, Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) has revolutionized the way developers build and maintain applications. By outsourcing backend infrastructure, developers can focus on writing and maintaining frontend code, avoiding the stress of server-side development. In this article, we’ll delve into the world of BaaS, comparing two popular platforms: Firebase and Supabase.
What is Firebase?
Firebase, acquired by Google in 2014, is a full-blown BaaS service offering products for both development and post-development phases. It provides a suite of tools, including authentication, storage, real-time database, Firestore, hosting, cloud functions, cloud messaging, remote config, and Firebase ML. These features are categorized into three phases: build, release and monitor, and engage.
Firebase’s Build Phase
The build phase covers products that provide backend infrastructure for active development. These include core services such as authentication, storage, real-time database, Firestore, hosting, cloud functions, cloud messaging, remote config, and Firebase ML.
Firebase’s Release and Monitor Phase
The release and monitor phase includes tools used to monitor the application after development and release. These tools include Firebase Crashlytics, Google Analytics, Firebase Performance Monitoring, remote config, test lab, and app distribution.
Firebase’s Engage Phase
The engage phase focuses on products that help engage users, optimize the user experience, and keep users happy. On the paid plan, Firebase provides cool extensions to help build apps, add functionality, and deploy faster.
Installing Firebase
To get started with Firebase, create a Firebase account, start a new project, and register the app for the web. Then, set up the features needed, including authentication, Firestore, and storage.
Authentication with Firebase
Firebase provides an authentication service that allows users to register and create accounts on your application, including third-party sign-in services.
The Firebase Firestore
The Firebase Firestore is a NoSQL database that allows you to structure your database however you like and query it at lightning speed.
Storage in Firebase
Firebase provides a cloud storage feature that allows you to store media files. A simple use case is the ability to upload an image to the cloud and instantly get a URL for the image.
Using the Firebase Web SDK
Once set up on the Firebase dashboard, integrate Firebase into your frontend by installing the Firebase SDK, importing firebase, and initializing the firebase config code.
What is Supabase?
Supabase describes itself as an open-source alternative to Firebase. It’s designed to help developers spin up their backend within minutes. Supabase products available for use include a Postgres database, authentication service, storage, and Edge functions (serverless functions for backend logic).
Installing Supabase
To make use of Supabase, set up a new project on the dashboard, create a database, and import an existing spreadsheet as your Postgres database. Then, install Supabase using its npm package, import it into your project, and pull data from the todos table.
Firebase vs. Supabase: Which is Right for Your Project?
When choosing between Firebase and Supabase, consider the following factors:
- Importing preexisting data: Supabase allows easy import of CSV or copy-paste of a spreadsheet, while Firebase requires a third-party node script or manual conversion to JSON.
- Pricing: Supabase is currently free, while Firebase has a free Spark plan and a pay-as-you-go Blaze plan for enterprise applications.
- Relational database vs. NoSQL database: Supabase is a relational database, while Firebase is a NoSQL database. Choose based on your app’s data structure and consistency needs.
- Firebase extensions: Firebase provides official extensions for integrations with other services, while Supabase requires manual implementation.
- Data migration: Supabase’s relational database makes data migration easier, while Firebase’s NoSQL database can be more challenging.
Scalability and Security
Both services are relatively scalable, but Supabase’s Postgres database and data migration steps give it an edge. However, scalability ultimately depends on the app’s data architecture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Firebase and Supabase are two powerful BaaS platforms with unique strengths and weaknesses. By understanding their features, pricing, and limitations, you can choose the right tool for your project and avoid technical debt in the future.