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Firebase vs Turso
Side-by-side comparison of Firebase and Turso.
Quick summary
Firebase — Google's app development platform. Firebase is Google's mobile and web app development platform offering realtime database, authentication, hosting, and serverless functions.
Turso — SQLite for production. Turso is a distributed SQLite database built on libSQL, offering edge replicas and a generous free tier.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Firebase | Turso |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | Pay as you go | $29/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Auth | Yes | — |
| Storage | Yes | — |
| Database | Firestore (NoSQL) | — |
| Realtime | Yes | — |
| Free Tier | Spark plan (generous) | 500 databases, 9GB |
| Self-hosted | No | — |
| Edge Functions | Yes | — |
| Row Level Security | No | — |
| Engine | — | SQLite (libSQL) |
| Branching | — | No |
| Serverless | — | Yes |
| Scale-to-zero | — | Yes |
| Point-in-time Recovery | — | Yes |
Firebase
Google's app development platform
Pros
- Battle-tested at massive scale
- Excellent mobile SDKs
- Deep Google Cloud integration
Cons
- Vendor lock-in with Firestore
- Costs can surprise you at scale
- NoSQL-only data model
Turso
SQLite for production
Pros
- Edge replicas close to users
- Very generous free tier
- Low latency reads
Cons
- SQLite limits write scale
- Newer tool, less tooling
Which should you choose?
Choose Firebase if a free tier is important for your stage. Choose Turso if you value open source and want the option to self-host, and a free tier is important for your stage.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Firebase or Turso?
There is no universal “better.” For most teams, Turso is the safer default because Turso is open source, which means you can self-host and avoid vendor lock-in. Firebase is proprietary. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.
Is Firebase cheaper than Turso?
Firebase starts at Pay as you go, while Turso starts at $29/mo. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.
Can I migrate from Firebase to Turso?
Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Firebase-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most backend as a service migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.
Is Firebase or Turso open source?
Turso is open source; Firebase is a proprietary managed service.
Does Firebase or Turso have a free tier?
Both Firebase and Turso offer a free tier.
Which is best for startups and indie hackers?
Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. The one with the most generous free tier here is Firebase. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.