What is Firebase?

Firebase started in 2011 as just a primary real-time database. It was founded by James Tamplin and Andrew Lee, two developers looking to build a product that would make it easier for other developers to build apps. The company increased, and in 2014 it was acquired by Google, which has grown the platform into what it is today.

How Does it Work?

Firebase allows developers to streamline a backend for web and mobile development.

Creating a backend solution for your web or mobile app can be challenging. Firebase is a platform and tool that allows developers to streamline this process by eliminating much manual effort required in most app development.

Firebase is a platform and tool that allows developers to streamline the backend of web and mobile development by eliminating much of the manual effort required in most app development.

If you’re a developer, chances are you’ve heard of hosting platforms like AWS, Heroku, and Digital Ocean. These can be great options for developers with the technical expertise to use them, but they can be resource-intensive and intimidating for less experienced devs.

Firebase Follows Freemium Model

Firebase has a freemium model that offers excellent free services to allow users to test the product before upgrading to paid packages. The free tier is often limited to either services or data storage, but it provides access to all necessary tools for essential app development. Firebase’s free deck isn’t ideal for large-scale applications, but it’s great to get acquainted with the Firebase suite and see how it supports your use case.

Plus, if you’re starting with writing code and don’t have much money to invest in infrastructure, there’s no reason not to use Firebase’s free tier. If you’ve got a project that could benefit from its offerings but can’t justify paying for it at first, start small and work your way into the paid tiers as your project grows.

The Firebase platform

The Firebase platform is then divided into three parts:

Authentication –

This lets you authenticate users of your app. The service gives you the ability to manage user credentials and store their information. There are several ways to authenticate, including email/password, social login providers (Google, Facebook, Twitter, and GitHub), phone numbers, and anonymous authentication. There’s even a way to bring in your custom authentication system.

Real-time Database –

This is a cloud-hosted database for storing app data in real-time. Data is stored as JSON and synchronized across all clients in real-time. Every client with access will see changes made by others almost instantly and can update it themselves without worrying about conflicts or multiple client synchronization issues. The database also provides support for offline devices so developers can build responsive apps that work regardless of network latency or internet connectivity.

Storage –

The storage service allows you to upload files such as images, audio, or video directly from the mobile device to the storage bucket on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). You can also download files into your app while being offline, making them accessible at any time without taking up space on the device itself.

Prominent Services Offered by Firebase

Google Firebase offers a host of services for iOS, Android, and web app development. Some of these services include:

• Analytics — Free analytics to help you understand your app’s users.
• Authentication — This allows users to sign in using their Google account or anonymously.
• Cloud storage — Stores data in the cloud that can be accessed from any device.
• Realtime database — Stores data as JSON and synchronizes it in real-time.
• Firebase hosting — Fast and secure static hosting for your web apps.
• Crash reporting — Collect crash reports from across your app portfolio.
• Test lab for Android — Test your apps against a wide range of devices and platform versions, then share the results with your team.

Firebase is an excellent addition to the Google Developer platform. It provides a simple solution for developers who want to add some backend functionality without dealing with complex server configurations. The integration with other GDE products makes it an even more powerful tool for developers.