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

Firebase vs Pusher vs SignalR

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Pusher
Pusher
Stacks618
Followers1.4K
Votes234
Firebase
Firebase
Stacks42.5K
Followers36.0K
Votes2.0K
SignalR
SignalR
Stacks656
Followers1.2K
Votes146
GitHub Stars9.3K
Forks2.3K

Firebase vs Pusher vs SignalR: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Firebase, Pusher, and SignalR are popular real-time communication platforms used in web development. Each of these platforms has its own set of features and functionalities that cater to different use cases. In this comparison, we will highlight the key differences between Firebase, Pusher, and SignalR to help you choose the right solution based on your requirements.

  1. Real-Time Updates: Firebase is a real-time database that syncs data in real-time across all clients, making it easy to build real-time applications. Pusher also provides real-time functionality through WebSockets but requires the use of their servers. SignalR, on the other hand, is a library for ASP.NET developers that enables real-time web functionality, allowing server code to push content to connected clients instantly.

  2. Scalability and Pricing: Firebase is a fully managed platform that scales automatically to handle millions of concurrent users, making it ideal for large-scale applications. Pusher offers scalable pricing plans based on the number of connections and messages sent, making it a cost-effective solution for smaller projects. SignalR requires manual scalability and server management, making it more suitable for smaller applications or projects with dedicated server resources.

  3. Ease of Integration: Firebase provides SDKs for various platforms, including web, iOS, and Android, making it easy to integrate real-time functionality into different types of applications. Pusher offers SDKs for web and mobile platforms, along with additional features like presence channels and private channels for more control over real-time data. SignalR integrates seamlessly with ASP.NET applications, providing real-time updates without the need for third-party services.

  4. Authentication and Security: Firebase offers built-in authentication services, allowing developers to secure their real-time applications with user authentication and access control. Pusher also provides authentication mechanisms, but developers have more control over security settings and user permissions. SignalR integrates with ASP.NET's authentication and authorization mechanisms, ensuring secure real-time communication within the application.

  5. Customization and Control: Firebase provides a set of predefined features and functionalities for real-time data sync, limiting the level of customization available to developers. Pusher offers a wide range of customization options through webhooks, triggers, and channels, allowing developers to tailor real-time communication to their specific needs. SignalR allows for more control over the real-time communication process through server-side hubs and client-side proxies, enabling developers to customize the behavior of real-time updates within their applications.

In Summary, Firebase, Pusher, and SignalR offer unique features and functionalities for real-time communication, with differences in scalability, pricing, integration ease, authentication, security, and customization options to cater to various application requirements.

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Advice on Pusher, Firebase, SignalR

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
Eric
Eric

Owner at The Richner Group

Sep 24, 2020

Needs adviceonReactReactElasticsearchElasticsearchFirebaseFirebase

We are starting to work on a web-based platform aiming to connect investors/wholesalers (clients) and buyers (service providers). A third service provider, lenders, will be added in the future.

The ability to create profiles of buyers w/ their buying criteria, to create saved records of properties for sale (provided by client) to be cross-referenced against the buyers' criteria is our core functionality.

In-app, timeline-based, real-time communication between users (& storing it), file transfers, and push notifications are post MVP features we would like as well.

We are considering using React, Elasticsearch / App Search w/ their Search UI, and using Real-Time Database and functionalities of Firebase.

30.1k views30.1k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Pusher
Pusher
Firebase
Firebase
SignalR
SignalR

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

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.

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.

Easily build scalable in-app notifications, chat, realtime graphs, geotracking and more in your web & mobile apps with our hosted pub/sub messaging API.;Send programmable push notifications to iOS and Android devices with delivery and open rate tracking built in.;Easily add 1-1 and group Chat to your web & mobile apps. Presence, message storage, rich media, notifications, typing indicators and more.;Embed a realtime collaborative editor in your app in seconds to empower your users to do more, together.
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.
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Statistics
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
9.3K
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
2.3K
Stacks
618
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
656
Followers
1.4K
Followers
36.0K
Followers
1.2K
Votes
234
Votes
2.0K
Votes
146
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 55
    An easy way to give customers realtime features
  • 40
    Websockets
  • 34
    Simple
  • 27
    Easy to get started with
  • 25
    Free plan
Cons
  • 11
    Costly
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
  • 32
    Supports .NET server
  • 25
    Real-time
  • 18
    Free
  • 16
    Fallback to SSE, forever frame, long polling
  • 15
    WebSockets
Cons
  • 2
    Requires jQuery
  • 2
    Expertise hard to get
  • 1
    Big differences between ASP.NET and Core versions
  • 1
    Weak iOS and Android support
Integrations
Slack
Slack
Datadog
Datadog
Librato
Librato
Trigger.io
Trigger.io
Famo.us
Famo.us
Backbone.js
Backbone.js
Ember.js
Ember.js
AngularJS
AngularJS
React
React
.NET
.NET

What are some alternatives to Pusher, Firebase, SignalR?

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.

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.

Supabase

Supabase

Supabase is currently in early-Alpha .It is an open-source Firebase alternative. It adds realtime and RESTful APIs to your PostgreSQL database without a single line of code.

Faye

Faye

Faye is a set of tools for simple publish-subscribe messaging between web clients. It ships with easy-to-use message routing servers for Node.js and Rack applications, and clients that can be used on the server and in the browser.

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