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Firebase vs Mongoose: What are the differences?

Introduction

Firebase and Mongoose are both widely used technologies for working with databases in web applications. However, they have some key differences that set them apart. In this article, we will explore these differences and understand when it is appropriate to use each technology.

  1. Data Structure and Schema: One of the main differences between Firebase and Mongoose is the way they handle data structure and schema. Firebase is a schema-less database, which means that you can store any type of data without having to define a strict structure beforehand. On the other hand, Mongoose is a MongoDB object modeling tool that provides a schema-based solution. This means that you need to define a schema for your data model before storing it in the database.

  2. Real-time Updates: Firebase is well-known for its real-time synchronization feature. It allows you to listen to changes in data in real-time and automatically update the user interface without having to refresh the page. Mongoose, on the other hand, does not provide real-time updates out of the box. To achieve real-time updates with Mongoose, you would need to use other technologies such as WebSockets or polling.

  3. Support for Multiple Databases: While Firebase is primarily designed for use with its own NoSQL database, it also provides support for other databases such as Firestore and Cloud Storage. On the other hand, Mongoose is specifically built for the MongoDB database. This means that if you are already using MongoDB or have specific requirements for a SQL database, Mongoose would be a better choice.

  4. Querying and Indexing: Firebase provides a query language called Firebase Realtime Database Query that allows you to perform basic filtering, sorting, and querying operations. However, it does not support advanced querying capabilities such as join queries or aggregations. Mongoose, being an object modeling tool for MongoDB, provides a rich set of querying capabilities that are inherent to MongoDB, including support for complex queries, aggregations, and advanced indexing strategies.

  5. Scalability: Firebase is a fully managed platform and provides automatic scaling and load balancing out of the box. It can handle a large number of concurrent users and can scale horizontally as the traffic increases. On the other hand, with Mongoose, you need to set up and manage your own MongoDB cluster to handle scalability. While MongoDB does provide features for scaling, it requires manual configuration and management.

  6. Hosting: Firebase provides a hosting service that allows you to deploy your web application easily. It offers features like automatic SSL certificate provisioning and built-in CDN caching. Mongoose, on the other hand, is a database modeling tool and does not provide hosting services. You would need to use other services like Heroku or AWS to host your application.

In summary, Firebase is a schema-less, real-time database that provides easy scalability and hosting services. On the other hand, Mongoose is a schema-based tool for working with MongoDB, providing advanced querying capabilities and better control over the database setup and scaling. The choice between Firebase and Mongoose depends on the specific requirements of your project, such as data structure, real-time updates, support for multiple databases, querying capabilities, scalability, and hosting needs.

Advice on Firebase and Mongoose
Needs advice
on
ApolloApolloFirebaseFirebase
and
Socket.IOSocket.IO

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.

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Replies (3)
Timothy Malstead
Junior Full Stack Developer at Freelance · | 7 upvotes · 460.9K views
Recommends
on
FirebaseFirebase

I would recommend looking hard into Firebase for this project, especially if you do not have dedicated full-stack or backend members on your team.

The real time database, as you mentioned, is a great option, but I would also look into Firestore. Similar to RTDB, it adds more functions and some cool methods as well. Also, another great thing about Firebase is you have easy access to storage and dead simple auth as well.

Node.js Express MongoDB Socket.IO and Apollo are great technologies as well, and may be the better option if you do not wish to cede as much control to third parties in your application.

Overall, I say if you wish to focus more time developing your React application instead of other parts of your stack, Firebase is a great way to do that.

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Recommends
on
AblyAbly

Hello Noam 👋,

I suggest taking a look at Ably, it has all the realtime features you need and the platform is designed to guarantee critical functionality at scale.

Here is an in depth comparison between Ably and Firebase

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Recommends
on
8base8base

Hey Noam,

I would recommend you to take a look into 8base. It has features you've requested, also relation database and GraphQL API which will help you to develop rapidly.

Thanks, Ilya

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Pros of Firebase
Pros of Mongoose
  • 371
    Realtime backend made easy
  • 270
    Fast and responsive
  • 242
    Easy setup
  • 215
    Real-time
  • 191
    JSON
  • 134
    Free
  • 128
    Backed by google
  • 83
    Angular adaptor
  • 68
    Reliable
  • 36
    Great customer support
  • 32
    Great documentation
  • 25
    Real-time synchronization
  • 21
    Mobile friendly
  • 18
    Rapid prototyping
  • 14
    Great security
  • 12
    Automatic scaling
  • 11
    Freakingly awesome
  • 8
    Super fast development
  • 8
    Angularfire is an amazing addition!
  • 8
    Chat
  • 6
    Built in user auth/oauth
  • 6
    Ios adaptor
  • 6
    Awesome next-gen backend
  • 6
    Firebase hosting
  • 4
    Speed of light
  • 4
    Very easy to use
  • 3
    Great
  • 3
    It's made development super fast
  • 3
    Brilliant for startups
  • 2
    The concurrent updates create a great experience
  • 2
    Push notification
  • 2
    .net
  • 2
    Cloud functions
  • 2
    Free hosting
  • 2
    Free authentication solution
  • 2
    JS Offline and Sync suport
  • 2
    Low battery consumption
  • 2
    I can quickly create static web apps with no backend
  • 2
    Great all-round functionality
  • 1
    Large
  • 1
    Easy to use
  • 1
    Free SSL
  • 1
    Faster workflow
  • 1
    Google's support
  • 1
    CDN & cache out of the box
  • 1
    Easy Reactjs integration
  • 1
    Simple and easy
  • 1
    Good Free Limits
  • 1
    Serverless
  • 17
    Several bad ideas mixed together
  • 17
    Well documented
  • 10
    JSON
  • 8
    Actually terrible documentation
  • 2
    Recommended and used by Valve. See steamworks docs
  • 1
    Can be used with passportjs for oauth
  • 1
    Yeah

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Cons of Firebase
Cons of Mongoose
  • 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
  • 3
    Very unstable server
  • 3
    No Relational Data
  • 2
    Too many errors
  • 2
    No offline sync
  • 3
    Model middleware/hooks are not user friendly

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What is Firebase?

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.

What is Mongoose?

Let's face it, writing MongoDB validation, casting and business logic boilerplate is a drag. That's why we wrote Mongoose. Mongoose provides a straight-forward, schema-based solution to modeling your application data and includes built-in type casting, validation, query building, business logic hooks and more, out of the box.

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