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The Battle of the NoSQL Databases – Comparing MongoDB & Firebase
The most challenging task to do in a business start-up is to choose the perfect technology based on business needs. In the course of backend app development, any mistake while choosing the right database may cost you a big deal. The apps require a secure database to support the strength of its cloud storage.
The right choice of a database can be made after analyzing its technical usage and the one that fits the product. In this blog, I have carried out a technical comparison between MongoDB and Firebase to conclude which one wins the battle for the best database.
Both MongoDB and Firebase come under the top NoSQL database. MongoDB is a well known open-source document-oriented database developed by 10gen, later called MongoDB Inc. It is being used to store unstructured, semi-structured, structured data in a document-based database. MongoDB is being developed and managed by MongoDB Inc. MongoDB is known as a document database that offers the scalability and flexibility that you want with the querying and indexing of your needs. It powers a number of different categories for applications and is popular and widely-accepted for the same.
The prime importance of MongoDB is on the data storage factor, and thus, it lacks a complete ecosystem as offered by Firebase. It provides such efficient features that capture the developer’s mind to make their excellent use. Companies like Adobe, eBay, Verizon are among 3000 companies that use the MongoDB database to store their data.
Whereas, Firebase is a real-time engine with background connectivity that supports an entire ecosystem for developing mobile and web apps. Google presently owned Firebase and created a much more complete solution with many more services like hosting, storage, cloud function, and machine learning compared to MongoDB. Firebase has a comprehensive set of security tools, and it is an easy-to-use data browsing tool. It has a robust client library, and it also has full support for online mode.
Common Comparisons Between MongoDB and Firebase
|
Common Comparison |
MongoDB |
Firebase |
|
MongoDB vs. Firebase |
MongoDB is a free open source with a high-performance document-based database. |
Firebase is an ideal database to store and synchronize data in real-time. |
|
Performance |
MongoDB provides high performance with a high traffic application. |
Firebase does not support high performance like MongoDB. |
|
Developed By |
MongoDB Inc developed MongoDB |
Google developed Firebase. |
|
Supported Languages |
MongoDB supports Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, NodeJS, C, C#, Perl, etc. |
Firebase supports Java, Objective-C, PHP, NodeJS, JavaScript, Swift, C++, etc. |
|
Security |
It is more Secure than Firebase |
Firebase is not as Secure as MongoDB |
|
Applications |
MongoDB is best suitable for large-scale applications |
Firebase is ideal for small-scale applications |
Pros of Firebase Vs. MongoDB
|
MongoDB |
Firebase |
|
MongoDB has powerful sharding and scaling capabilities |
Instant data updates without refreshing. |
|
Dynamic — No rigid schema. |
Firebase is easy to synchronize multiple computers with the database. |
|
MongoDB gives a Flexible – field addition/deletion have less or no impact on the application |
Firebase has no worries when your server is going into meltdown if you suddenly get tonnes of traffic. |
|
Data Representation in JSON or BSON |
It has a Cloud-Based Event Queue. |
|
MongoDB has Geospatial support. |
Real-time Firebase Push Notifications |
|
Easy Integration with BigData Hadoop |
Google Firebase is an ideal database for Real-time Chat/messaging applications. |
|
MongoDB offers a free version when you configure on-premise, with the paid version you will get a serverless set up (using MongoDB servers). |
Firebase pricing offers a pay-as-you-go plan model with flexible rates. |
|
MongoDB has a very vast documentation collection of literature and MongoDB tutorials for new users. |
It offers a synched Application State. |
|
MongoDB is very flexible, as it doesn’t require a unified data structure across all objects. |
Firebase offers a superfast CDN for static websites. |
|
MongoDB is considered highly secured because no SQL injection can be made. |
Firebase allows straightforward hosting in Google’s Cloud Platform. |
Cons of MongoDB Vs. Firebase
|
MongoDB |
Firebase |
|
MongoDB is infamous for leaking, corrupting, or losing data over time. |
Firebase has esoteric security protocols. |
|
MongoDB is not very powerful for the indexing and searching process. |
Firebase only has a paid version, so you are not able to set up Firebase on your server. You are required to purchase Google’s server. |
|
MongoDB is not ACID-compliant (Atomic, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) |
There are no relational queries in Firebase. |
|
No function or stored procedure not supported where you want to bind the logic |
Exporting your user data not possible because you don’t own the servers that host your data |
|
MongoDB has confusing ‘middleman’ hosting arrangements |
Dealing with relations with Firebase is quite complicated. |
|
Complex queries are complicated to work with. |
Data migration is a tricky subject in Firebase. |
Conclusion
Both technologies have their expertise and space of integration. For instance, the Firebase database is best to use for data management and real-time updates. On the other hand, MongoDB is the best bet for quick data handling for large enterprises. Whichever database that you have chosen, you will require a very highly skilled and intellectual team of developers to set up your backend database structure. So, the decision to select Firebase developers or MongoDB developers only after proper analysis and research.
Every database is designed to provide features and solutions to address different problems and business requirements. You just need to understand the requirements of your application development to choose the perfect fit. A few things that we should consider when selecting a database for web or app development. Firstly, make sure that all the basic requirements of the database are satisfied. Then, list the requirements of your app development and check if that is justified. And compare tools before finalizing one.
