Firebase Alternatives That Don't Suck - Real Options for 2025

Firebase was great in 2014. Now it's expensive, inflexible, and will lock you in tighter than your ex's death grip on your Netflix password.

Firebase's Biggest Pain Points

The Billing Nightmare: Firebase charges per operation. One page load can trigger 20+ database reads depending on how badly you structured your data. That innocent React component that re-renders on scroll? Boom - 500 reads per scroll event. Firebase bill was like 800-something dollars in a month because some mobile app was hammering the database in an infinite loop. Firebase documentation suggests using query cursors and batching, but implementing that means rewriting half your app.

NoSQL Hell: Firestore looks simple until you need to query data like a normal human being. Want to join two collections? Write client-side code to manually merge shit. Need aggregations? Congratulations, you're now a cloud functions developer. The IN limit of 10 values alone will make you cry when you have a list of 11 user IDs. Firestore's query limitations read like a list of everything useful you can't do.

Vendor Lock-in That Hurts: Firebase security rules are write-only - good luck debugging them when they randomly deny requests with "PERMISSION_DENIED: Missing or insufficient permissions." Firebase Auth export doesn't include custom claims - learned that the hard way when 2000 users suddenly lost their admin privileges during migration. Everything is proprietary APIs. No escape hatch.

Google's Mood Swings: Google has killed a shitload of products over the years. Firebase might be next. At least when Google Reader died, we had RSS readers to migrate to.

Why People Are Jumping Ship

PostgreSQL Is Back

Turns out relational data works better in a relational database. Shocking, right? PostgreSQL handles joins without making me want to throw my laptop out the window. ACID transactions work without needing three Stack Overflow tabs open. PostgreSQL lets you write SELECT statements instead of praying to the NoSQL gods.

Self-Hosting Freedom

Appwrite lets you run everything on your own servers. No surprise bills. No vendor lock-in. Your data stays yours. Wild idea. Appwrite's self-hosting guide makes it look easy until you realize Docker networking is designed by sadists. Prepare for weekend debugging sessions when containers randomly stop talking to each other.

Pricing That Makes Sense

Most alternatives use predictable monthly pricing instead of Firebase's "pay per breath" model. Supabase Pro is $25/month. Period. No surprises when you go viral on TikTok.

The Reality Check

Firebase isn't evil - it's just not 2014 anymore. If you're building a simple MVP with predictable traffic, Firebase still works fine. But if you need SQL queries, cost predictability, or data ownership, you have options now.

The question isn't whether to switch - it's which alternative fits your specific brand of suffering.

I've done this migration hell three times now and here's what I learned.

Supabase - PostgreSQL That Doesn't Hate You

Supabase is what Firebase should have been if Google understood databases. It's built on PostgreSQL, which means your data actually makes sense. Supabase's feature set includes real-time subscriptions, built-in auth, and instant APIs. Developer experiences are overwhelmingly positive, though some question if it's too good to be true.

What Works:

• Real SQL: Write actual queries. Joins work. Indexes work. Your brain works again.
• Row-Level Security: PostgreSQL's RLS is like Firebase security rules but comprehensible
• Edge Functions: Deno runtime that starts fast and runs TypeScript natively
• Real-time: PostgreSQL triggers power WebSocket updates that actually sync

What Breaks:

• Edge Functions timeout quickly - check the docs for current limits
• Free tier database fills up fast (check current storage limits)
• Self-hosting requires Docker knowledge you don't have

Migration Reality:

Migrating Firebase data to PostgreSQL is like translating poetry into assembly language. Spent 3 weeks just figuring out how to convert Firestore's nested objects to proper foreign key relationships. The nested arrays killed me - PostgreSQL's JSONB helped but debugging those queries at 2am was rough.

Appwrite - Self-Host or Die Trying

Appwrite gives you control over everything. Including the responsibility to not screw it up.

What Works:

• Docker Deployment: One command to deploy everything (when it works)
• Multi-Database Support: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite - pick your poison
• 30+ Auth Providers: More OAuth options than you'll ever need
• Self-Hosting: Your data, your servers, your problems

What Breaks:

• Docker containers randomly lose network connectivity and I still don't know why
• Documentation written by people who forgot what it's like to be confused
• Memory leaks that show up after running for days
• Updates that break your config in ways you didn't think were possible

Real Experience:

Docker setup feels like assembling IKEA furniture while blindfolded. Spent a weekend debugging why containers couldn't reach each other - turns out the default Docker network had an IP conflict with my VPN. Once running, it's solid, but getting there cost me a Saturday and most of my sanity.

AWS Amplify - For When You Hate Yourself

AWS Amplify is Firebase but with AWS complexity turned up to 11. Great if your company already lives in AWS hell.

What Works:

• Scales Forever: AWS infrastructure handles whatever you throw at it
• Service Integration: Connect to 200+ AWS services you'll never use
• GraphQL: AppSync generates schemas from your DynamoDB tables
• Enterprise Features: Compliance checkboxes your legal team needs

What Breaks:

• AWS CLI updates that break deployments with cryptic "InvalidParameterValue" errors
• Cold starts that take 8+ seconds while your users give up and leave
• Error messages like "ResourceNotFoundException" that tell you nothing useful
• Bills that require a PhD in AWS pricing to understand why you owe $23.47

When It Makes Sense:

If your team already knows AWS and your Firebase bill hit $2000/month. Otherwise, run away.

Back4App - Parse Server That Actually Works

Back4App runs Parse Server so you don't have to. Easiest Firebase migration if you can stomach Parse's quirks.

What Works:

• Parse APIs: Same structure that inspired Firebase originally
• Migration Tools: Automated scripts to move Firebase data
• Managed Hosting: Parse Server without infrastructure nightmares
• GraphQL Support: Auto-generated from Parse schemas

What Breaks:

• Parse Server feels ancient compared to modern alternatives
• Dashboard UI looks like 2015
• Limited real-time features compared to modern alternatives
• MongoDB-based (NoSQL problems persist)

Migration Story:

Took 2 weeks for basic functionality, another month debugging edge cases and auth flows. The Parse SDK patterns felt familiar coming from Firebase.

PocketBase - The One Binary Wonder

PocketBase is a single Go binary that replaces your entire backend. Sounds insane, actually works. One executable file handles database, auth, real-time, and admin UI. It's either brilliant or the work of a madman.

What Works:

• Single Binary: Deploy one file, get database + auth + real-time + admin UI
• SQLite: Fast, reliable, and files you can actually backup
• Admin Dashboard: Built-in UI for managing data and users
• Go Performance: Handles way more traffic than you'd expect

What Breaks:

• SQLite starts throwing SQLITE_BUSY errors when you actually have users (learned this at 3am on a Saturday)
• Go binary means no NPM packages in your backend logic
• Single point of failure unless you want to deal with clustering hell
• Different paradigm means unlearning everything you know about backends

Perfect For:

Solo projects, prototypes, or anything under 100K users. I use it for side projects and it's magical.

Choosing Based on Your Pain Tolerance

• Want SQL and good docs? → Supabase (prepare for longer migration than expected)
• Need complete control? → Appwrite (prepare for Docker pain)
• Already trapped in AWS? → Amplify (prepare for AWS complexity)
• Want easy migration? → Back4App (prepare for 2015 vibes)
• Building solo projects? → PocketBase (prepare to fall in love)

Each option sucks in different ways. Firebase isn't evil - it's just expensive and limiting. Pick your poison based on which type of pain you can tolerate.