Firebase is a BaaS, or Backend-as-a-Service, app-development platform that is available on the Google Cloud. There are many advantages to using Firebase for your startup, especially if you do not have a technical background, or if you are not familiar with the backend of an app or website. It can also help small businesses save money, due to its pricing model, but more on that later. For now, let’s see what Firebase brings to the table.
Without a service such as Firebase, you would have to either hire a backend developer to build you a database to store user information, or you would have to build it yourself. Even if you have some experience with backend development, certain features can require an extensive knowledge of the backend, which may turn out to be a tremendous headache, or a cost barrier.
Firebase comes with its own user authentication system, which includes support for social media and email account log-in. Other advantages include speed, thanks to Firebase’s support for real-time databases, and dynamic links, which direct a user directly to your app or to the app store in case the user does not have the app installed. The latter feature can be used for referral programs, and ad testing, since each link can contain a chunk of data which identifies the source of the traffic.
Finally, let’s talk about pricing. Firebase comes with a pay-as-you-use payment system, which means that small companies can set up their backend with almost no cost, and then pay as the app grows. This is of course a huge advantage to any startup, especially when you compare Firebase with alternatives such as hiring someone to build a backend for you.
For small companies and individuals who do not have experience with the backend of an app or website, Firebase can be a powerful tool. It does have its disadvantages, but those only become noticeable past a certain level of experience with databases and database management. Issues such as complicated querying and clumsy data modeling will not generally affect a non-technical professional.
