Firebase Database vs MySQL, What is Difference between Firebase and MySQL? Comparisons, Advantages & Disadvantages

Difference between Firebase and MySQL

Both firebase and MySQL are database systems but just that they work in their own different ways and also have different definitions. Now before we go into their main differences let me explain in detail the definitions of MySQL and firebase. I will also be discussing how each of them operates; by taking looks at their advantages and of course their disadvantages.

What is Firebase?

Firebase can best be defined as a NoSQL cloud database. Firebase is used in storing real-time data, and you can store any form of data inside. Many developers are using firebase to develop applications that do not require any form of server. It was officially launched in 2017, and it was developed by Google. It comprises of the authentication system when a user has to sign-in or sign-up before reading or writing data for security purposes; real-time database which helps to add or remove data from the database live and also used to sync information within an app or web; another thing it comprises is the storage system where a user can store and sync files like images, sounds, and video files.

Advantages of Firebase

1. No fee charged at start-up

Firebase has what is called the "Spark Plan" which is also known as the free mode plan. With this, you have many things you can do with it. Meaning with the spark plan in the real-time database you can get a total of 100 simultaneous connection (i.e number of the user connected at the same time), 1GB storage and 10GB  download per month; for cloud storage 5GB. As you can see this is not pretty bad for a start. But if your web or app grows bigger meaning you have exceeded the limit, you can upgrade to higher plans which you have to pay for the data storage.

2. It has speed when developing web or app

Developers spend less time in building or developing web and mobile apps using firebase.

3. Does not require a server

Firebase does not require any form of server environment in which its users pay for their requests.

4. Pricing plan

The spark plan which is also known as the free mode plan costs $0/month and it has a lot of offers you could use at start-up. But in case you exceed the limits of the Spark plan you have to upgrade to the blaze plan which of course is having its own pricing calculator to calculate your billing monthly.

Disadvantages of firebase

1. Unstable pricing system

Firebase is currently not having a fixed price. It has two plans which are the spark plan which is completely free; and secondly the blaze plan for bigger web apps which does not have a specified amount, hence it uses a billing calculator that bills you based on your monthly data usage.

2. Its capabilities in querying are limited

3. It only works in countries that allow Google

4. It has a limit in supporting some IOS features

What is MySQL?

It is an open-source database. It works like a relational database management system which stands for (RMDS). It also works for various operating systems such as Windows, Linux, OS X, and Solaris. MySQL work using the conception of tables. Another thing you need to know is that its language is standard.

Advantages of MySQL

1. Security in storing data

MySQL is highly known for being one the database system that is highly secured. This is to say that it has great securities which make many big web app like Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and many other similar web apps using it. Like in the case of an E-commerce business; it is mostly used because of the strong security it has since there could a lot of money transactions going on.

2. Pricing plan

Downloading MySQL is absolutely free. Once you download it, you can start using its features at zero cost. The pricing package could be customized by you which means you only pay according to the resources you used.

3. Scalability on demand

This means that on MySQL your web app will have a very large scale for storing data and handling multiple connections

4. Complex Data storing

MySQL handles the storing of complex data storing

Disadvantages of MySQL

⦁ It has some limits which might frustrate the developer
⦁ The handling of transactions is not done efficiently
⦁ Scaling data in MySQL is very poor
⦁ Its debugging tool is not good enough 

Comparisons between Firebase and MySQL

	Firebase	MySQL
Pricing	Firebase has two plans which are the Spark plan (free plan) and Blaze plan (paid plan for bigger scaling and storage increase).	MySQL is completely free to download
Supported languages	Firebase supports only a few languages like Java, Objective-C, and JavaScript.	MySQL support multiple languages like Python, C++, C#, Java, Ada, and many more.
Supported APIs	Firebase support the following APIs Android, JavaScript, and IOS	MySQL supports APIs like JDBC, ODBC, and ADO
Developers	Firebase was developed by Google	MySQL was developed by Oracle
Scaling data	Firebase scaling of data is done horizontally	MySQL scaling of data is done vertically
Database type	Firebase is a NoSQL database	MySQL is an SQL database just as seen in its name
Handle of data	Firebase effectively handles a very huge amount of data	MySQL is best used for data that is complex
Design flexibility	In firebase, there is flexibility in the aspect of design	In MySQL, the flexibility in terms of design is not good enough
Database nature	Firebase database is non-relational	MySQL database is relational
Design type	Firebase works on the basis of documents (for the real-time database) and collections (including documents for firestore)	MySQL works on the basis of tables
Speed	Firebase Database Speed is fast as compare to MYSQL	MySQL database speed is a little slow. For to get a fast data response from the MySQL database we will need to buy expensive hosting.

Conclusion

So far from the beginning, you can see that both firebase and MySQL are database systems but they only work differently as well as having different features. I have also discussed their pro and cons. The firebase is used to handle very large data effectively, while for MySQL it is highly needed if you are storing very complex data. Firebase supports fewer languages than MySQL. In terms of pricing as I stated earlier above the firebase has two plans which are the spark plan (free mode for starter) and the blaze plan (paid plan for bigger projects which requires a very large scaling and increase in data storage). Now from what I have discussed, you should be able to know the right database to use base on what project you want to work on; this article will really help you a lot.