Firestore vs Realtime Database in 2025 – Which One Should You Use?
Expert comparison to help you choose the right Firebase database for your app
Table of Contents
🔄 Firestore vs Realtime Database in 2025 - Which One Should You Use?
Firebase gives developers two powerful database options:
- Cloud Firestore
- Realtime Database
But which one is best for your app in 2025?
After helping dozens of companies choose and optimize their Firebase stack, here's our expert breakdown of Firestore vs Realtime Database, updated for today's performance, features, and costs.
🧠 Quick Summary: Key Differences
Feature | Firestore | Realtime Database |
|---|---|---|
Data model | Document-based (NoSQL) | Tree-like (JSON) |
Sync | Near real-time | True real-time |
Offline support | Built-in (Web, iOS, Android) | Built-in (Mobile only) |
Queries | Rich (compound, order, filter) | Limited (no complex queries) |
Scaling | Horizontally scalable | Manual sharding |
Pricing | Per document read/write | Per data transferred |
Ideal for | Most modern apps | Live chat, presence, games |
📲 Performance Comparison
Realtime DB shines in low-latency real-time updates -- perfect for:
- Presence systems (user online/offline)
- Chat apps
- Live games
Firestore, on the other hand, is optimized for:
- Structured queries
- Complex data models
- Offline-first business apps
📌 In 2025, Firestore is faster and cheaper for structured apps; Realtime DB is still best for "twitch-speed" syncing.
💰 Pricing Comparison
Firestore:
- Charged by: Document reads/writes/storage
- Predictable if optimized
- More expensive if you over-fetch data
Realtime DB:
- Charged by: GB of data downloaded
- Cheaper for real-time use
- Gets expensive fast for large, deep trees
📉 Our advice:
If you're building anything with large data, nested access, or offline support, Firestore is more manageable.
🧪 Developer Experience
Area | Firestore | Realtime DB |
|---|---|---|
SDK support | Web, iOS, Android, Admin | Web, iOS, Android, Admin |
Rules | Structured with versioning | JSON-like rules |
Emulator | Full emulator suite | Partial support |
Tooling | Advanced in Firebase console | Basic but works |
Firestore's structured rules, indexing, and query support make it better for complex apps.
🛠️ Use Case Scenarios (2025)
Use Case | Recommended DB |
|---|---|
SaaS dashboards | ✅ Firestore |
Real-time chat | ✅ Realtime DB |
E-commerce app | ✅ Firestore |
Multiplayer games | ✅ Realtime DB |
Offline-first tools | ✅ Firestore |
IoT telemetry | 🔁 Depends (Firestore for history, RTDB for live) |
🚀 Migration Considerations
If you're considering migrating from Realtime DB to Firestore:
Pros:
- Better querying capabilities
- Improved offline support
- More predictable pricing
- Better security rules
Cons:
- Migration complexity
- Different data modeling
- Learning curve for team
💡 Our Recommendation
Choose Firestore if:
- Building a business app with complex queries
- Need offline support across platforms
- Want predictable pricing
- Planning to scale significantly
Choose Realtime Database if:
- Building real-time chat or presence features
- Need true real-time sync
- Have simple data structures
- Building games or live collaboration tools
✅ Final CTA
> 💡 Still unsure which database to choose?
> We help businesses audit their current setup and migrate between Firebase databases with minimal downtime.