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  5. Firebase vs Linode

Firebase vs Linode

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Linode
Linode
Stacks782
Followers623
Votes422
Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K

Firebase vs Linode: What are the differences?

Introduction

Firebase and Linode are both popular platforms used for web and mobile app development, but they differ in several key aspects.

1. Pricing and Billing Model: Firebase offers a usage-based pricing model, where you pay for the specific features and services you use, such as database storage, authentication, and notifications. In contrast, Linode provides a fixed pricing model, where you pay for a set amount of resources (e.g., CPU, RAM, storage) regardless of usage. This makes Firebase more suitable for projects with varying resource requirements, while Linode may be more cost-effective for predictable workloads.

2. Hosting and Scalability: Firebase includes a built-in hosting service that allows you to deploy static websites and web apps easily. It also provides automatic scaling to handle sudden bursts in traffic. On the other hand, Linode offers Virtual Private Servers (VPS) that give you complete control over the server environment for hosting your applications. While both platforms offer scalability options, Linode's approach provides more flexibility and customization for advanced users.

3. Backend Development: Firebase offers a comprehensive suite of backend services, such as real-time database, authentication, cloud functions, and messaging, which can be easily integrated into your applications. Linode, being an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider, focuses more on providing server infrastructure rather than specific backend features. This makes Firebase a better choice for developers who prefer a ready-to-use backend solution with minimal setup and maintenance.

4. Database Options: Firebase provides a NoSQL real-time database that allows for synchronization and offline data capabilities. It is well-suited for applications that require real-time updates and collaborative features. On the other hand, Linode does not offer a specific database service but allows you to set up and configure your own choice of databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB. This gives developers more control and flexibility in selecting the most suitable database solution for their specific needs.

5. Serverless Computing: Firebase offers Cloud Functions, a serverless computing platform that allows you to run code in response to events triggered by Firebase features or HTTPS requests. This enables developers to build serverless architectures and focus on writing business logic rather than managing infrastructure. Linode, however, does not provide a serverless computing platform out of the box, and you need to implement it using other technologies or frameworks.

6. Platform Integration: Firebase is tightly integrated with other Google Cloud services, allowing seamless integration and easy access to a wide range of additional resources and services. This integration makes it easy to leverage other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, and machine learning APIs. Linode, being an independent platform, does not have the same level of integration with other cloud services, but provides more freedom to use a preferred service provider or different cloud components.

In Summary, Firebase is a cloud platform that offers a usage-based pricing model, built-in hosting, comprehensive backend services, and a real-time database, while Linode provides fixed pricing, more hosting customization, infrastructure-focused services, diverse database options, and the freedom to use other cloud service providers.

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Advice on Linode, Firebase

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
Dalton
Dalton

Nov 8, 2020

Decided

Chose Hetnzer over DigitalOcean and Linode because Hetzner provides much cheaper VPS with much better specs. DigitalOcean might seems like a good choice at first because of how popular it is. But in reality, if all you need is a simple VPS, you won't benefit much from the their oversubscribed datacenters which often underperform other competitors. Linode is also a good choice. They have cheaper options and performs slightly better than DigitalOcean. In the end, choosing a more affordable host helps you save money. That's important when you're running a tight ship.

65.1k views65.1k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Linode
Linode
Firebase
Firebase

Get a server running in minutes with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and node location.

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.

Deploy multiple Linux distributions;Create Configuration Profiles which associate disk images and device nodes;Boot between configuration profiles;Share disk images between configuration profiles;Resize disk images;Network and CPU usage graphs;Multiple IP address support;Managed/hosted DNS service with slave support;Custom reverse DNS (rdns);Access Out of band console access using Lish;Lish menu system to issue jobs to your Linode;Lish access via SSH keys;Support for booting into single user mode, init=/bin/bash;Support for booting with a custom "root=" kernel parameter;Support for booting with an initrd;Bootable recovery distribution (Finnix);Add and remove extra resources to and from your Linode;Shutdown Watchdog will automatically reboot your Linode in case of a crash;Clone a Linode to another;Move IPs from one Linode to another;IP address fail over support for high availability setups
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.
Statistics
Stacks
782
Stacks
42.5K
Followers
623
Followers
36.0K
Votes
422
Votes
2.0K
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 100
    Extremely reliable
  • 70
    Good value
  • 60
    Great customer support
  • 58
    Easy to configure
  • 37
    Great documentation
Cons
  • 2
    No "floating IP" support
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
Integrations
No integrations available
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React

What are some alternatives to Linode, Firebase?

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean

We take the complexities out of cloud hosting by offering blazing fast, on-demand SSD cloud servers, straightforward pricing, a simple API, and an easy-to-use control panel.

Amazon EC2

Amazon EC2

It is a web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale computing easier for developers.

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.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure

Azure is an open and flexible cloud platform that enables you to quickly build, deploy and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. You can build applications using any language, tool or framework. And you can integrate your public cloud applications with your existing IT environment.

Google Compute Engine

Google Compute Engine

Google Compute Engine is a service that provides virtual machines that run on Google infrastructure. Google Compute Engine offers scale, performance, and value that allows you to easily launch large compute clusters on Google's infrastructure. There are no upfront investments and you can run up to thousands of virtual CPUs on a system that has been designed from the ground up to be fast, and to offer strong consistency of performance.

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.

Scaleway

Scaleway

European cloud computing company proposing a complete & simple public cloud ecosystem, bare-metal servers & private datacenter infrastructures.

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.

Rackspace Cloud Servers

Rackspace Cloud Servers

Cloud Servers is based on OpenStack, the open and scalable operating system for building public and private clouds. With the open cloud, you get reliable cloud hosting, without locking your data into one proprietary platform.

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