In this database comparison tutorial, I will discuss the ultimate difference between MongoDB vs Firebase.
You are here today reading this blog maybe because you are a beginner and have heard of these two databases and don’t know how they differ. Or, you are an experienced developer and want to explore or learn the qualities of MongoDB VS Firebase as databases. Whatsoever it may be, this guide is just for you.
Let us get started with the ultimate guide on MongoDB vs Firebase.
| MongoDB | Firebase |
| Made for web applications | Made for mobile applications |
| Open-source database platform | Commercial database platform |
| Server operating systems support is available | Hosted server for customers |
| Larger drivers support | Limited drivers support |
| Master-slave replication | No replication |
What is a Database?
Now that you are successfully through all that pep talk :P, it is time to understand what databases are in their real sense, really quick. Databases are centralized storage systems for application data that may be administered by an administrator. A database can have multiple users associated with it with different permissions.
Databases can be divided into SQL and NoSQL types. Both of these will be discussed in the following section. At the moment, we can just understand that SQL-type databases store data in tabular format, while NoSQL-type databases store data in tree-like formats. We are comparing MongoDB vs Firebase because they are both NoSQL databases.
Users can also read, write, update, and delete data in a database, adding to its unique features. They must, however, have certain permissions to do so. In addition to data storage, database management services also provide many other services. Services like regular backups, access controls, partitioning, and security are just a few examples.
What is a SQL and NoSQL Database?
Databases are powerful and popular for many other reasons. Our comparison of MongoDB vs Firebase today will consider most of these factors.
SQL Database
An SQL database is also known as a relational database stores data in tabular structures that allows storing of structured data. Think of it as an Excel spreadsheet. SQL databases can be used for both small-scale and large-scale applications data storage.
Popular SQL databases include MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, PostgreSQL, OracleDB, and many more.
NoSQL Database
A NoSQL database is also called a non-relational database that allows easier storage and management of unstructured data. NoSQL databases are perfect for real-time web applications, and huge data.
Popular NoSQL databases include MongoDB, Redis, Cassandra, Firebase, Couchbase and more.
Let us now proceed with the MongoDB vs Firebase comparison guide.
MongoDB vs Firebase: Ultimate Comparison of 2021
There a multiple set of factors that makes a comparison accurate. We will take into consideration quite a few ones to compare MongoDB vs Firebase to get a better understanding of what the two are good at and what at not.
So, let us get started.
Synopsis
MongoDB was founded in 2009 by MongoDB Inc. It was originally released in 2007 by the name, 10gen by the original owners and creators, DoubleClick.
Firebase was acquired by Google Inc in 2014 and is now a flagship offer for application development by Google. It was originally founded in 2011 as an independent company.
Now let us start with the factors for comparing MongoDB vs Firebase.
Applications/Use Cases
The ultimate difference between MongoDB vs Firebase is that MongoDB is used mainly used for storing data of web applications. It is best for large-scale applications. On the flip side, Firebase is mainly focused on storing data of mobile applications. It is best for small-scale applications.
While both MongoDB and Firebase offer solutions for mobile application database services and web applications database services respectively, they specialize in what they offer as mentioned above.
Accessibility
This aspect of the MongoDB vs Firebase guide focuses on how both databases are distributed to users.
MongoDB is an open-source database platform meaning it can be used by anyone. On the other hand, Firebase is a commercial database platform meaning you need to pay a fee to be able to host your data on the database.
Server Operating System
MongoDB offers its server on operating systems such Windows, FreeBSD, Linux, OS X, and Solaris. Meanwhile, Firebase’s server is hosted which is only offered to its customers.
Languages/Driver Support
MongoDB supports multiple drivers and programming languages to use with. Some of them are Nodejs (JavaScript), Python, Scala, PHP, Perl, C, Java, R, Ruby, C++, and many more.
Firebase is mainly focused on mobile applications that support a selective number of programming languages such as Objective C, Java, and JavaScript.
Replication
MongoDB comes with master-slave replication support meaning you can replicate your data from one database server (master) to other database servers (slaves). This facilitates load-balancing or failover of the servers.
Firebase, on the other hand, does not support any replication methods for databases.
Security
The final factor I would like to discuss in this MongoDB vs Firebase comparison guide is security. MongoDB is very much secure when compared to Firebase. Firebase is unfortunately not so secure.
Read More: Aerospike vs MongoDB
Conclusion
You are here today reading this blog maybe because you are a beginner and have heard of these two databases and don’t know how they differ. Or, you are an experienced developer and want to explore or learn the qualities of MongoDB VS Firebase as databases. Whatsoever it may be, this guide is just for you.
This guide covers the ultimate differences between MongoDB vs Firebase and what they are best for.
