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

Firebase vs Openfire

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
Openfire
Openfire
Stacks12
Followers47
Votes0

Firebase vs Openfire: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Firebase and Openfire

Firebase and Openfire are both popular platforms used for real-time messaging and communication purposes. However, there are several key differences that set them apart.

  1. Database System: Firebase utilizes a NoSQL cloud-based database system, whereas Openfire uses a traditional SQL database. This difference affects the scalability and flexibility of the platforms. Firebase's NoSQL database allows for more dynamic data modeling and real-time updates, while Openfire's SQL database offers more control over data structures and relationships.

  2. Real-time Capabilities: Firebase is known for its real-time synchronization feature, where changes made in the database are instantly reflected across all connected devices. Openfire also supports real-time messaging but requires additional configurations and customization to achieve the same level of real-time updates.

  3. Hosting Services: Firebase provides hosting services for web applications, allowing developers to deploy their projects with ease. On the other hand, Openfire does not offer built-in hosting services and requires external hosting providers to host the application.

  4. Server Management: Both Firebase and Openfire require server-side implementation for their functionalities. However, Firebase handles the server management aspect, allowing developers to focus more on the application development. Openfire, on the other hand, requires more manual server management and configuration, making it a better fit for developers with server administration skills.

  5. Platform Integration: Firebase is backed by Google and integrates seamlessly with other Google services, such as Google Analytics, Google Cloud Functions, and Cloud Messaging. Openfire, being an open-source platform, offers more flexibility in integrating with various third-party services and platforms.

  6. Community and Support: Firebase has a large and active community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and support resources provided by Google. Openfire, being an open-source project, also has a significant community support, but it may not be as extensive as Firebase's community. The level of support and availability of resources may impact the development process and address any issues encountered during the development.

In summary, Firebase and Openfire differ in their choice of database system, real-time capabilities, hosting services, server management approach, platform integration, and community support. The choice between the two largely depends on the specific requirements of the project and the developer's preference.

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Advice on Firebase, Openfire

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
Openfire
Openfire

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.

It is a real time collaboration (RTC) server. It uses the only widely adopted open protocol for instant messaging, XMPP (also called Jabber). It is incredibly easy to setup and administer, but offers rock-solid security and performance.

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.
Instant messaging; Rock-solid security and performance; Easy to setup
Statistics
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
12
Followers
36.0K
Followers
47
Votes
2.0K
Votes
0
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
No community feedback yet
Integrations
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
Node.js
Node.js
Windows
Windows
Linux
Linux
IPFS
IPFS
macOS
macOS
drawio
drawio

What are some alternatives to Firebase, Openfire?

Slack

Slack

Imagine all your team communication in one place, instantly searchable, available wherever you go. That’s Slack. All your messages. All your files. And everything from Twitter, Dropbox, Google Docs, Asana, Trello, GitHub and dozens of other services. All together.

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.

HipChat

HipChat

HipChat is a hosted private chat service for your company or team. Invite colleagues to share ideas and files in persistent group chat rooms. Get your team off AIM, Google Talk, and Skype — HipChat was built for business.

Zulip

Zulip

Zulip is powerful, open source team chat that combines the immediacy of real-time chat with the productivity benefits of threaded conversations. Zulip allows busy managers and others in meetings all day to participate in their teams chats.

RocketChat

RocketChat

Rocket.Chat is a Web Chat Server, developed in JavaScript, using the Meteor fullstack framework. It is a great solution for communities and companies wanting to privately host their own chat service or for developers looking forward to build and evolve their own chat platforms.

Mattermost

Mattermost

Mattermost is modern communication from behind your firewall.

Gitter

Gitter

Free chat rooms for your public repositories. A bit like IRC only smarter. Chats for private repositories as well as organisations.

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.

Flowdock

Flowdock

Flowdock is a web-based team chat service that integrates with your tools to provide a window into your team's activities. With the team inbox, everyone on your team can stay up to date. Stay connected with Flowdock's iOS and Android apps.

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