Firebase vs Auth0

Google's all-in-one meets the identity-as-a-service darling that makes auth easy until you hit the enterprise pricing wall. Here's our take.

Firebase

Nice Pick

Google's all-in-one. Fast to start, painful to leave.

Pros

• Mature ecosystem
• Great docs
• Fast prototyping
• Google scale

Cons

• Vendor lock-in
• NoSQL limits
• Pricing surprises
• Proprietary

Auth0

The identity-as-a-service darling that makes auth easy until you hit the enterprise pricing wall.

Pros

• Enterprise features
• Many integrations
• Mature
• Customizable
• Quick setup with pre-built login UIs and social logins
• Handles complex protocols like OAuth 2.0 and SAML out-of-the-box
• Scalable for startups to large applications with minimal dev effort

Cons

• Complex
• Expensive
• Overkill for small apps
• Pricing can skyrocket with user counts and advanced features
• Customization beyond basics often requires wrestling with their rules engine

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Firebase is a databases while Auth0 is a hosting & deployment. We picked Firebase based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Firebase wins

Based on overall popularity. Firebase is more widely used, but Auth0 excels in its own space.