Firebase : Differences between realtime database and file storage

Firebase now offers these places to store your data:

  • Realtime Database
  • Remote Config
  • Hosting
  • Storage
  • Cloud Firestore

The best place to store your data, depends on the type of data you want to store and the way you want to consume it.

The Firebase documentation says this about it:

  • The Firebase Realtime Database stores JSON application data, like game state or chat messages, and synchronizes changes instantly across all connected devices.

  • Firebase Remote Config stores developer-specified key-value pairs to change the behavior and appearance of your app without requiring users to download an update.

  • Firebase Hosting hosts the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for your website as well as other developer-provided assets like graphics, fonts, and icons.

  • Firebase Storage stores files such as images, videos, and audio as well as other user-generated content.

On choosing between Cloud Firestore and the Firebase Realtime Database, the Firebase documentation says:

Firebase offers two cloud-based, client-accessible database solutions that support realtime data syncing:

Realtime Database is Firebase's original database. It's an efficient, low-latency solution for mobile apps that require synced states across clients in realtime.

Cloud Firestore is Firebase's new flagship database for mobile app development. It improves on the successes of the Realtime Database with a new, more intuitive data model. Cloud Firestore also features richer, faster queries and scales better than the Realtime Database.


*Realtime database store data only json format and it is specially used in app where data is synchronized concurrently like ola app(user location),sensex(Nifty) app where data not persist .

*Firebase Storage just only store data like memory card.It is specially used for store backend data of app.