App development with Google Firebase – cloud-based & scalable

Firebase is a development platform from Google that is predestined for app and web app development. One of the main advantages of Firebase is the seamless integration with other Google services such as Google Cloud and BigQuery. This brings many advantages, as various backend tasks such as user authentication or hosting are covered directly by Google. Here is an overview of the most important advantages of Firebase:

Integrated backend solutions & hosting
Developers can save a lot of time and effort with Firebase app development, as the backend architecture provided by Google can be used directly. Google Cloud can be used to host the app and store data. User authentication is also possible directly via Google. This simplifies app development: instead of having to invest time and resources in setting up server infrastructures, you can start programming the app's core functions straight away.

Simple sending of user-specific push notifications
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) enables developers or app administrators to efficiently and easily send push notifications to app users. Using the Firebase Web Console, specific app user segments can be selected and notified. The seamless integration with other Firebase services is a great advantage here, as push notifications can be sent in a targeted manner (e.g. based on user behavior).

Integration with Google services & Google Cloud functions
As mentioned above, Firebase is directly integrated with various other Google services and Google Cloud. This enables developers to directly access Google Cloud modules such as BigQuery, Firebase Machine Learning or Google AI solutions and to integrate the technologies available through these into their own app or web app. Thanks to Firebase Test Lab, it is also easy to test an app for a large number of different smartphones and operating systems.
However, one disadvantage of this approach is that it creates a strong dependency on Google. Furthermore, the usage costs for Google services (e.g. Google Cloud) can be higher than the costs for other, comparable database systems.

Analytics and monitoring 
For the continuous improvement of an app, it is essential to understand how users interact with the app and where there may be opportunities to make the app UX more intuitive and optimize user journeys. One of the tools that can provide information on this is Firebase Analytics. In addition to measuring and tracking standard app events, AB tests and app UX/UI analyses, Firebase Analytics also offers other app-specific functions such as Crashlytics. Based on this data, targeted improvements can be made - whether for conversion optimization, troubleshooting or to increase performance.

Firebase offers many advantages as an out-of-the-box solution:

The other side of the coin is that many of the reasons for using Firebase also justify the disadvantages of the platform: