If we can label Firebase, we’ll say it’s Backend-as-a-Service (Baas).

Firebase is Google’s mobile app development platform that helps you build, enhance and expand your app.

Let’s say that, there are a variety of server-side (back-end) technologies available on the market for developers to test new usage possibilities and Firebase is one of the ones that has attracted the most attention in the mobile world.

With it, it is possible to offer richer application experiences for the user, optimizing the performance and experience of the platform.

Furthermore, Firebase is versatile and the types of apps that can be developed with Firebase are: Android, iOS and Web.

What does Firebase do?

In this server sense, Firebase provides developers with a variety of tools and services to help them develop quality applications, grow their user base and be more profitable.

Its entire base is built on Google’s infrastructure, being categorized as a NoSQL database program, which stores data in JSON-type documents.

Firebase has a large set of development tools. Of these, Realtime Database and Cloud Firestore can store structured data in documents and synchronize corresponding applications in milliseconds whenever a data transformation occurs.

This means that both the app and its database listen to each other, providing the user with experiences integrated into the app.

And Firebase Cloud Functions can even extend that functionality. These functions allow the developer to write back-end code to respond to events that happen on the Firebase platform without directly needing any server.

What languages does Firebase support?

Firebase supports development in the following languages: C++, Java, JavaScript, Node.js, Objective-C and Swift. Angular, Backbone and React frameworks are supported by binding names directly to the database.

Google also added libraries: FirebaseUI, Geofire, Firebase Queue, FirebaseJobDispatcher.

Who is Firebase for?

Firebase is designed to integrate very well with web and mobile apps with SDKs for a huge variety of languages.

It’s a suite of bespoke apps for any developer who needs tools to build better, more robust, less buggy, more user - optimized, scalable and even more profitable apps.

Why use Firebase? As the platform offers a large number of services, you don’t have to worry about several factors that often generate headaches in a Web or Mobile application, such as:

• Security in data communication and transfer.
• Infrastructure limitations.
• Update bugs.
• Compatibility with many different types of devices.
• Authentication.
• Issues involving UI/UX.

All these situations can be solved through the services offered by Firebase.

Plus, Firebase is free to get started and you can use your Google account! As demand grows, you will be able to purchase the paid plan, and still pay only the excess of the products and tools you use.

In our next article, we’ll talk about plans and pricing or Firebase in comparison to other Backend as a service infrastructures.

As already mentioned, the speed of application development through Firebase is another positive point.

Using Firebase and Firestore allows front-end developers to manage all work and reduce the time needed to complete.