Elasticsearch vs Firestore

The search engine that thinks it's a database meets google's real-time database that makes syncing feel like magic, until you hit the query limits. Here's our take.

Elasticsearch

Nice Pick

The search engine that thinks it's a database. Great for logs, but good luck with transactions.

Pros

• Blazing-fast full-text search and analytics
• Scalable and distributed by design
• Rich ecosystem with Kibana for visualization

Cons

• Not ACID-compliant, so avoid for transactional data
• Can be resource-hungry and complex to tune

Firestore

Google's real-time database that makes syncing feel like magic, until you hit the query limits.

Pros

• Real-time data synchronization out of the box
• Offline support for mobile and web apps
• Automatic scaling with minimal operational overhead
• Seamless integration with Firebase and Google Cloud services

Cons

• Query limitations can be restrictive for complex data structures
• Costs can escalate quickly with high read/write volumes

The Verdict

Use Elasticsearch if: You want blazing-fast full-text search and analytics and can live with not acid-compliant, so avoid for transactional data.

Use Firestore if: You prioritize real-time data synchronization out of the box over what Elasticsearch offers.

The Bottom Line

Elasticsearch wins

The search engine that thinks it's a database. Great for logs, but good luck with transactions.