Comparison of Firestore with Alternative Databases
In the first part we have compared Firebase with other backend services. Now, we compare the Firestore database provided by Firebase with other databases. It will help you to select the option of your choice more precisely.
Firestore vs. SQLite
SQLite is an embedded SQL database. Here embedded means it doesn’t have a separate server. It stores files and data directly on disk. Firestore is a real-time database.
| Differences between Firestore and SQLite | Firestore is compatible with both Android and iOS, while SQLite is only for Android. SQLite is free, while Firestore is paid. |
| Pros of SQLite | SQLite is the most suitable database for Android systems. It requires no extra configuration or space. SQLite does not require a license, either. |
| Cons of SQLite | Lack of built-in data encryption. SQLite is a single-user DBMS. It’s not easy to scale a larger application. |
Firestore vs. MySQL
Firestore is a scalable database that is supported by Firebase by Google. It offers multiple features like best integration and offline support to build a responsive app. MySQL is an open-source database. It deploys the cloud based application to guaranteed open-source applications.
| Differences between Firestore and MySQL | Firestore is an auto-scaling database, whereas MySQL is RDBMS. Firestore uses data stores; MySQL uses a relational database to store data. |
| Pros of MySQL | MySQL is the best open-source database. It is a well-performing product. MySQL is an easy to configure database. |
| Cons of MySQL | It’s hard to find support for special cases. Speed decreases when acquired with an oracle. Bigger databases also face performance issues. |
DynamoDB vs. Firestore
Dynamo DB is a NoSQL database. It is preferred because of its low cost and high performance. You only pay for what you use. It is only deployed in AWS. Firestore is a cloud-based real-time database, which is a great option to choose.
| Differences between Firestore and DynamoDB | Firestore is a real-time database, whereas DynamoDB works in JSON. Firestore saves data in Google cloud, while DynamoDB saves data in Amazon Cloud. |
| Pros of DynamoDB | No limit to data storage. DynamoDB is simple to set up. DynamoDB supports streams. |
| Cons of DynamoDB | Lack of server-side updates. Weak querying model. Harder to predict costs. |
Realm vs. Firestore
Realm is a collaborative tool. Due to its unique design, auto-sync, and un-common database style, it is popular amongst people. It works on JSON tree-like structure, which is complex for large projects. On the other hand, Firestore uses an object-like structure. This structure is similar to JSON but more arranged and organized.
| Differences between Firestore and Realm | In Firestore, querying is easy, while querying is complex due to its complex structure in Realm. Scalability is strong in Firestore as compared to Realm. |
| Pros of Realm | The security model is code-based. The shared/synced objects are the same across each client. Realm Databases auto-update. |
| Cons of Realm | Permission granting is done in the code. Requires programmers rather than system administrators to manage. Security codes are much more challenging to track. |
Firestore vs. MongoDB
MongoDB is a JSON styled database, which offers dynamic schema. It is highly scalable with auto-sharding. Firestore is a non-SQL database that provides an easy store, querying, and syncing.
| Differences between Firestore and MongoDB | Mongo DB uses JSON-like documents, while Firestore has no SQL document. MongoDB is open-source, while Firestore is not open-source. |
| Pros of MongoDB | Query performance is quicker compared to Firebase. Query syntax is simple and much easier. Dynamic schematic architecture for unstructured data. |
| Cons of MongoDB | MongoDB doesn’t support transactions. Joining documents is difficult. High performance is only possible with the right indexes. |
MariaDB vs. Firestore
MariaDB is an open-source relational database. It is in collaboration with multiple clouds. It relies on different sponsors for its funding to always remain open-source.
| Differences between Firestore and MariaDB | MariaDB provides a column-oriented storage engine. It is based on RDBMS, while Firestore is based on document stores. |
| Pros of MariaDB | Easy to learn and manage. It requires fewer hardware specifications. It has a flexible infrastructure. |
| Cons of MariaDB | Restore process is annoying. Slow when dealing with large files. |
Conclusion
In this article, we have compared Firestore with 6 other popular databases. The main differences are identified, as well as the pros and cons of each of them.
We also recommend to read the first part of the article, where we compared Firebase with other backend platforms.
If you need help with choosing the right database for your application, feel free to contact us!
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