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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Platform as a Service
  4. Realtime Backend API
  5. Firebase vs Firehose.io

Firebase vs Firehose.io

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
Firehose.io
Firehose.io
Stacks2
Followers16
Votes7
GitHub Stars0
Forks0

Firebase vs Firehose.io: What are the differences?

Introduction

Firebase and Firehose.io are both platforms that assist in the development of web and mobile applications by providing backend services and real-time data streaming. However, they have several key differences that developers should consider when choosing which platform to use.

  1. Data Synchronization: One key difference between Firebase and Firehose.io is how they handle data synchronization. Firebase provides real-time synchronization of data across all devices in a scalable manner, enabling developers to build responsive and collaborative applications effortlessly. On the other hand, Firehose.io focuses more on real-time data streaming, allowing developers to connect various data sources and route them to different destinations such as databases or analytics platforms.

  2. Pricing Model: Firebase and Firehose.io also differ in their pricing models. Firebase offers a free tier with usage-based pricing for additional features and resources, making it a cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized projects. In contrast, Firehose.io follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, where users are charged based on the volume of data processed, making it more suitable for projects with fluctuating data needs.

  3. Development Flexibility: Another key difference is the level of development flexibility provided by Firebase and Firehose.io. Firebase offers a set of pre-built features and integrations, making it easier for developers to get started quickly without having to build everything from scratch. On the other hand, Firehose.io provides more customization options and allows developers to tailor data streaming pipelines according to their specific requirements, giving them more control over the architecture of their applications.

  4. Scalability: When it comes to scalability, Firebase and Firehose.io have different approaches. Firebase is designed to automatically scale resources based on demand, ensuring that applications remain performant regardless of the number of users or data being processed. Firehose.io, on the other hand, requires developers to configure and manage the scaling of data pipelines manually, which may be more suitable for projects with complex data processing requirements.

  5. Data Processing Capabilities: Firebase and Firehose.io also vary in their data processing capabilities. Firebase provides a wide range of built-in features for handling user authentication, file storage, and cloud functions, simplifying the development process for developers. In contrast, Firehose.io focuses primarily on real-time data streaming and may require additional integrations or services for more advanced data processing tasks, making it better suited for projects with specific streaming requirements.

  6. Community Support: The level of community support is another key difference between Firebase and Firehose.io. Firebase has a large and active community of developers, offering extensive documentation, tutorials, and forums to help users troubleshoot issues and learn best practices. Firehose.io, while still supported by a dedicated team, may have a smaller community, which could impact the availability of resources and support for developers using the platform.

In Summary, Firebase and Firehose.io differ in data synchronization mechanisms, pricing models, development flexibility, scalability approaches, data processing capabilities, and community support, making it essential for developers to carefully evaluate their project requirements before choosing a platform.

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Advice on Firebase, Firehose.io

Kenzie
Kenzie

Sep 30, 2021

Needs adviceon.NET.NETAngularJSAngularJSMSSQLMSSQL

I'm working on a project where I need to both send real-time updates for specific data sets, along with providing notifications to the users after long-running processes have been completed (SSE).

The project is using .NET Framework, AngularJS, & MSSQL. I understand that SignalR is nice as a polyfill for .NET and you can scale with a backplane, but I was wondering if there was a more efficient/effective technology for this?

36.1k views36.1k
Comments
Jared
Jared

Contractor at Insight Global

Aug 9, 2019

ReviewonFirebaseFirebase

I started using Firebase over 5 years ago because of the 'real-time' nature. I originally used to use Real Time Database, but now I use Cloud Firestore. I recommend using the Google Firebase PaaS to quickly develop or prototype small to enterprise level web/mobile applications. Since Google purchased Firebase, it has exploded and it growing rapidly. I also find some level of comfort that it is Backed by Google.

272k views272k
Comments
Noam
Noam

Jul 16, 2020

Needs adviceonNode.jsNode.jsExpressJSExpressJSReactReact

We are starting to work on a web-based platform aiming to connect artists (clients) and professional freelancers (service providers). In-app, timeline-based, real-time communication between users (& storing it), file transfers, and push notifications are essential core features. We are considering using Node.js, ExpressJS, React, MongoDB stack with Socket.IO & Apollo, or maybe using Real-Time Database and functionalities of Firebase.

1.15M views1.15M
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Firebase
Firebase
Firehose.io
Firehose.io

Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.

Firehose is both a Rack application and JavaScript library that makes building real-time web applications possible.

Add the Firebase library to your app and get access to a shared data structure. Any changes made to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.;Firebase apps can be written entirely with client-side code, update in real-time out-of-the-box, interoperate well with existing services, scale automatically, and provide strong data security.;Data Accessibility- Data is stored as JSON in Firebase. Every piece of data has its own URL which can be used in Firebase's client libraries and as a REST endpoint. These URLs can also be entered into a browser to view the data and watch it update in real-time.;Real-time Synchronization- Firebase takes a new approach to the way data is moved around an app. Rather than using a traditional request & response model, it works by synchronizing data between devices. Whenever your data changes, all clients are immediately notified within milliseconds. The synchronized data is also persisted, allowing new clients to be immediately updated.;First-class Data Security- Traditional applications intermix security code with application code, whereas Firebase treats security as a first-class feature. You define your security policies in one place using a flexible rules language, and Firebase ensures that they are consistently enforced across all parts of your application. Having all your security logic in one place allows for easy auditing and helps you avoid security mistakes. The safety and security of your data is our top priority.;Automatic Scaling- The Firebase API is built from the ground up for performance and scale. Whenever your data changes, Firebase calculates the minimum set of updates required to keep all your clients in sync. In addition, all Firebase API functions are designed to scale linearly with the size of the data being synchronized. More importantly, Firebase handles all of the scaling and operations for you. Your app will scale from its first user to its first million without any code changes.;Servers are Optional- Firebase can provide all of the data storage, control, and transmission needs of most apps. In many cases, Firebase can completely replace your server and server-side code. This means you no longer need to build complicated backend software and can instead focus on your application logic and your customers.
Firehose embraces RESTful design prinicpals and consequently works great with any library that speaks HTTP;Integrates with Backbone.js and Ember.js;Hook it into an ORM, like ActiveRecord
Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
0
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
0
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
2
Followers
36.0K
Followers
16
Votes
2.0K
Votes
7
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 371
    Realtime backend made easy
  • 270
    Fast and responsive
  • 242
    Easy setup
  • 215
    Real-time
  • 191
    JSON
Cons
  • 31
    Can become expensive
  • 16
    No open source, you depend on external company
  • 15
    Scalability is not infinite
  • 9
    Not Flexible Enough
  • 7
    Cant filter queries
Pros
  • 2
    RESTful
  • 2
    Works with ActiveRecord
  • 2
    Rails gem
  • 1
    Clean way to build real-time web applications
Integrations
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js

What are some alternatives to Firebase, Firehose.io?

Socket.IO

Socket.IO

It enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

PubNub

PubNub

PubNub makes it easy for you to add real-time capabilities to your apps, without worrying about the infrastructure. Build apps that allow your users to engage in real-time across mobile, browser, desktop and server.

Pusher

Pusher

Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features.

SignalR

SignalR

SignalR allows bi-directional communication between server and client. Servers can now push content to connected clients instantly as it becomes available. SignalR supports Web Sockets, and falls back to other compatible techniques for older browsers. SignalR includes APIs for connection management (for instance, connect and disconnect events), grouping connections, and authorization.

Ably

Ably

Ably offers WebSockets, stream resume, history, presence, and managed third-party integrations to make it simple to build, extend, and deliver digital realtime experiences at scale.

Syncano

Syncano

Syncano is a backend platform to build powerful real-time apps more efficiently. Integrate with any API, minimize boilerplate code and control your data - all from one place.

NATS

NATS

Unlike traditional enterprise messaging systems, NATS has an always-on dial tone that does whatever it takes to remain available. This forms a great base for building modern, reliable, and scalable cloud and distributed systems.

SocketCluster

SocketCluster

SocketCluster is a fast, highly scalable HTTP + realtime server engine which lets you build multi-process realtime servers that make use of all CPU cores on a machine/instance. It removes the limitations of having to run your Node.js server as a single thread and makes your backend resilient by automatically recovering from worker crashes and aggregating errors into a central log.

deepstream.io

deepstream.io

Scalable Server for Realtime Web Apps with JSON structures that can be read, manipulated and listened to, messages that can be sent to one or more subscribers, and request response workflows, between two clients or servers.

8base

8base

A cloud service designed to power enterprise-grade web and mobile applications that require support for large numbers of users, complex data and transactional requirements, comprehensive role-based security and a modern look-and-feel.

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