AWS Amplify vs Firebase: Complete 2025 Comparison
Google's Firebase versus Amazon's AWS Amplify: Compare features, pricing, databases, scalability, and developer experience to choose the right backend for your application.
Quick Overview
Firebase
Google's mobile and web application platform focused on rapid development with excellent mobile SDKs, real-time database, and seamless Google Cloud integration.
- ✓Faster initial development
- ✓Simpler learning curve
- ✓Better mobile offline support
- ✓Superior real-time capabilities
AWS Amplify
Amazon's full-stack development framework providing access to 200+ AWS services with enterprise-grade infrastructure, advanced customization, and GraphQL-first approach.
- ✓More customization options
- ✓Better AWS ecosystem integration
- ✓GraphQL-first architecture
- ✓Enterprise-grade scalability
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Firebase | AWS Amplify |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Firestore (NoSQL) Realtime Database (NoSQL) | DynamoDB (NoSQL) AppSync with any SQL/NoSQL |
| Authentication | ✅ Excellent (email, phone, social, anonymous) | ✅ Cognito (comprehensive, enterprise-grade) |
| File Storage | Cloud Storage (Google Cloud Storage) | S3 (more flexible, powerful) |
| Cloud Functions | Cloud Functions (simpler setup) | Lambda (more control, complex) |
| Real-time Data | ⭐ Excellent (native, simple) | Good (AppSync GraphQL subscriptions) |
| API Type | REST APIs, client SDKs | GraphQL-first (AppSync), REST optional |
| Offline Support | ⭐ Excellent (automatic sync) | Good (requires DataStore setup) |
| Push Notifications | FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) | SNS, Pinpoint (more complex) |
| Analytics | Firebase Analytics (integrated) | Pinpoint, CloudWatch (powerful) |
| Hosting | Firebase Hosting (simple, fast CDN) | Amplify Hosting (more features, CI/CD) |
Pricing Comparison
Firebase Pricing
Spark (Free)
- • 1GB storage
- • 10GB/month bandwidth
- • 50K reads, 20K writes/day (Firestore)
- • Limited cloud functions
Blaze (Pay as you go)
- • $0.18/GB storage
- • $0.12/GB bandwidth
- • $0.06 per 100K reads (Firestore)
- • $0.18 per 100K writes (Firestore)
Best for: Predictable small to medium apps, rapid prototyping
AWS Amplify Pricing
Free Tier (12 months)
- • 5GB storage (S3)
- • 15GB/month bandwidth
- • 25GB DynamoDB storage
- • 1M Lambda requests/month
Pay as you go
- • $0.023/GB storage (S3)
- • $0.09/GB bandwidth
- • $0.25 per million reads (DynamoDB)
- • $1.25 per million writes (DynamoDB)
Best for: Large scale apps, AWS ecosystem users, complex needs
💡 Pricing Verdict
Firebase typically costs more at high scale but offers simpler, more predictable pricing. AWS Amplify can be significantly cheaper for large applications but requires AWS optimization knowledge. For apps with 100K+ monthly active users, AWS often becomes 30-50% cheaper.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose Firebase if:
- →You're building a mobile app (iOS/Android/Flutter) and need rapid development
- →You need excellent offline support with automatic data synchronization
- →You want simpler setup and shorter learning curve for your team
- →You need real-time data synchronization as a core feature
- →You're already using Google Cloud Platform or Google services
- →You prefer NoSQL document databases over relational databases
- →You want Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for push notifications
Choose AWS Amplify if:
- →You need enterprise-grade infrastructure with AWS compliance (HIPAA, SOC 2)
- →You're already using AWS services and want seamless integration
- →You need advanced customization and access to 200+ AWS services
- →You prefer GraphQL APIs and want AppSync's powerful querying capabilities
- →You have DevOps expertise and want granular infrastructure control
- →You're building at scale (millions of users) and need cost optimization
- →You need multi-region deployment and advanced disaster recovery
Migrating Between Firebase and AWS Amplify
⚠️ Migration Complexity: High
Migrating between Firebase and AWS Amplify is a significant undertaking due to architectural differences. Expect 4-8 weeks for a medium-sized application.
Firebase → AWS Amplify
Database Migration
Export Firestore documents, transform to DynamoDB schema. Consider data modeling differences between NoSQL databases.
Authentication
Migrate Firebase Auth users to Cognito. Update all client SDKs and auth flows.
Functions
Rewrite Cloud Functions as Lambda functions. Update triggers and integrations.
AWS Amplify → Firebase
Database Migration
Export DynamoDB data, transform to Firestore collections. Simplify data model for Firestore's document structure.
Authentication
Migrate Cognito users to Firebase Auth. Simpler SDK migration but requires client updates.
Functions
Convert Lambda functions to Cloud Functions. Firebase's simpler event triggers may require architecture changes.
Still Not Sure Which to Choose?
Take our interactive backend quiz to get personalized recommendations based on your specific project requirements, team expertise, and scale needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: AWS Amplify or Firebase?
Firebase is better for rapid development, mobile apps, and simpler projects with its easier learning curve. AWS Amplify is better for enterprise applications needing AWS integration, complex infrastructure, and advanced customization. Choose Firebase for speed and simplicity, Amplify for flexibility and AWS ecosystem.
Is AWS Amplify cheaper than Firebase?
AWS Amplify can be cheaper at scale due to pay-as-you-go AWS pricing, but requires more optimization knowledge. Firebase has simpler, more predictable pricing for small to medium apps. Both offer generous free tiers. Amplify becomes more cost-effective for large applications with proper AWS optimization.
Can I migrate from Firebase to AWS Amplify?
Yes, but migration requires significant effort due to different architectures. You'll need to migrate Firestore data to DynamoDB, rewrite authentication logic, update cloud functions to Lambda, and modify client SDKs. Plan 4-8 weeks for a complete migration of a medium-sized application.
Does AWS Amplify have real-time database like Firebase?
Yes, AWS Amplify supports real-time data through AppSync with GraphQL subscriptions. However, Firebase's real-time database has simpler setup and better offline support. Amplify's real-time requires GraphQL knowledge but offers more flexibility and query capabilities.