# What is Firebase? Google's app platform explained | Miyagami > Firebase is Google's platform for building web and mobile apps. See its database options, auth, hosting and functions, and how it compares to Supabase. Source: https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-firebase [Home](https://www.miyagami.com/)/ [Resources](https://www.miyagami.com/resources)/ [Articles](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles)/ [Tools and infrastructure](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/tools-and-infrastructure)/ What is Firebase? # What is Firebase? **[Bo Wesdorp](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bo-wesdorp-496a36167/)** Co-founder and CTO, Miyagami [Tools and infrastructure](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/tools-and-infrastructure)3 min read Updated 7 October 2026 Firebase is Google's development platform that bundles the backend services most applications need (database, authentication, file storage, hosting, and analytics) into a single, integrated console. Teams spend less time wiring together separate providers and more time building product. ## What Firebase provides Building an application from scratch normally means choosing a database, configuring an authentication system, arranging file storage, setting up hosting, and adding monitoring, each from a different vendor. Firebase replaces that patchwork with a single ecosystem where every service shares the same configuration, security rules, and management console. It is a [backend as a service](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-backend-as-a-service) platform, meaning Google operates and scales the underlying infrastructure for you. All Firebase services connect to Google Cloud, so teams that outgrow the platform's built-in limits can reach BigQuery for advanced analytics, custom machine learning infrastructure, or broader Google Cloud tooling without migrating away entirely. ## Database options Firebase offers two distinct approaches to data storage. **Realtime Database** is Firebase's original offering. It stores data as JSON and pushes updates to every connected client the moment data changes, making it well suited to chat features, collaborative editing, and live dashboards. **Cloud Firestore** is the more recent, document-based option. It supports structured collections, complex queries, offline access, and smoother horizontal scaling. Most new projects start here unless instant synchronisation at minimal cost is the primary requirement. For a detailed comparison with another popular platform that offers similar choices, see [the difference between Firebase and Supabase](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/difference-between-firebase-and-supabase). ## Core services ### Authentication Firebase Authentication handles the full user identity flow: email and password, phone verification, and social logins from Google, Facebook, Twitter, and GitHub. It manages account creation, password resets, and token lifecycle, and integrates directly with Firestore and Storage security rules so access control stays consistent across the stack. ### Storage Firebase Storage is built on Google Cloud Storage and provides scalable hosting for user-generated content such as images, videos, and documents. Access control ties directly into Authentication, so rules like "only the uploading user can delete their file" require a few lines of configuration rather than custom server code. ### Hosting Firebase Hosting delivers [web applications](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-web-app) through a global CDN with free SSL certificates and straightforward custom domain support. It integrates with modern frameworks and supports server-side rendering via Cloud Functions. ### Cloud Functions Cloud Functions run server-side code in response to Firebase events or HTTP requests without requiring a managed server. Common uses include sending notifications, processing payments, and automating data transformations. Firebase handles scaling automatically. ### Cloud Messaging Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) enables push notifications across iOS, Android, and web. Teams can target specific audience segments, schedule deliveries, and run A/B tests on message content. ### Analytics Firebase Analytics tracks user behaviour, conversion events, and retention. Because it shares the same project configuration as the rest of Firebase, it can be linked directly to Authentication segments, remote config experiments, and A/B tests within the console. ## How Firebase compares to similar tools Firebase is often evaluated alongside [Supabase](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-supabase), which takes a Postgres-first, open-source approach. The core trade-offs are Firestore's document model and real-time sync versus Supabase's relational queries and SQL familiarity. Both are backend-as-a-service platforms; the right choice depends on data shape, query complexity, and whether vendor lock-in is a concern. For a broader view of where Firebase sits in the backend-as-a-service landscape, see [what is backend as a service](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-backend-as-a-service). ## In an AI-native team Coding agents can scaffold a Firebase project (initialising collections, writing security rules, and generating Cloud Functions) in minutes from a short prompt. The practical risk is that generated security rules can look plausible while containing privilege escalation paths, so engineers still need to read and verify every rule before deployment. Teams using [agentic coding](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-agentic-coding) with Firebase benefit most when someone on the team understands Firestore's data model and security rule evaluation deeply enough to review output that they did not write themselves, following the discipline described in [how to review AI-generated code](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/how-to-review-ai-generated-code). ## What we test for When placing engineers who will work with Firebase, we assess both database design judgment and security rule literacy, since mistakes in either compound quickly at scale. Our [how we vet](https://www.miyagami.com/how-we-vet) process runs two sessions: a fundamentals assessment without AI tools, where candidates design data models and write security rules by hand, and an AI-native assessment where they use coding agents and must verify the generated configuration, catching errors in code they did not author (the skill set described in [testing software you didn't design](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/testing-software-you-didnt-design)). Need engineers for this? We place senior engineers who work with this every day: [Supabase developers](https://www.miyagami.com/hire/supabase-developers), [mobile engineers](https://www.miyagami.com/hire/mobile-engineers) and [full-stack engineers](https://www.miyagami.com/hire/full-stack-engineers). You'll have a shortlist within three working days. ## Short answers What is Firebase used for? Firebase is used to build web and mobile applications without managing separate backend infrastructure. It provides a database, authentication, file storage, hosting, push notifications, and analytics, all configured and monitored through a single Google console. What is the difference between Firebase Realtime Database and Cloud Firestore? Realtime Database stores data as JSON and syncs changes to all connected clients instantly, making it good for live features. Cloud Firestore uses a document model, supports complex queries and offline access, and scales more predictably. Most new projects start with Firestore. Is Firebase free to use? Firebase has a free Spark plan that covers moderate usage across most services. Beyond those limits, the pay-as-you-go Blaze plan applies usage-based pricing. Costs scale with reads, writes, storage volume, and function invocations rather than a fixed monthly fee. We test for this Every engineer we place goes through two assessments: one without AI tools, one with. Both scorecards are published. [How we vet](https://www.miyagami.com/how-we-vet) Related - [What is the difference between Firebase and Supabase?](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/difference-between-firebase-and-supabase) - [What is Backend as a Service (BaaS)?](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-backend-as-a-service) - [What is Supabase?](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-supabase) - [How to review AI-generated code](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/how-to-review-ai-generated-code) Hiring for this? Senior AI-native engineers, a shortlist in three working days and a hire within five. - [Hire Supabase developers](https://www.miyagami.com/hire/supabase-developers) - [Hire mobile engineers](https://www.miyagami.com/hire/mobile-engineers) - [Hire full-stack engineers](https://www.miyagami.com/hire/full-stack-engineers) [Get a shortlist](https://www.miyagami.com/shortlist) Let's talk ## Get a shortlist within three days You share the roles and the stack in a short form or a thirty-minute call. Within three working days you get named senior engineers to review, each with both scorecards, and you can hire within five. [Get a shortlist](https://www.miyagami.com/shortlist) Reviewed on **Clutch** 39 reviews [ISO 27001 Certified](https://trust.miyagami.com/) Book thirty minutes with Dale The calendar is provided by HubSpot, which sets its own cookies. Load it here, or book on HubSpot's page. [Open booking page](https://sales.miyagami.com/meetings/dwesdorp)