Side by side
Firestore vs PouchDB
Both stand on mobile databases. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1
Firestore combines flexible document storage with search, transactions, real-time updates, and offline syncing. Check the database quota and server-side IAM requirements when assessing its fit.
Visit Firestore Free plan Open source AndroidAPIExtension+5
Choose PouchDB for a JavaScript application that needs local storage, offline operation, and bidirectional sync with a CouchDB-compatible server. Look elsewhere if the backend cannot speak the CouchDB replication protocol or the application needs documents that are not serializable as JSON.
Visit PouchDBThe facts
| Firestore | PouchDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | Android, API, iPhone, Web | Android, API, Extension, iPhone, Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 8 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | cloud.google.com | pouchdb.apache.org |
| On mobile databases | #6 of 26 | #2 of 26 |
Firestore: what it does well
- Supports vector, full-text, and geospatial queries.
- ACID transactions on JSON or BSON-compatible documents.
- Client SDKs provide real-time updates and offline syncing.
- Multi-region deployments state 99.999% SLA-backed availability.
- Free quota includes 1 GiB of stored data.
What to know first
- Free quota applies to one database per project.
- Named databases require billing and do not qualify for free quota.
- Server client libraries bypass Firestore Security Rules.
- Server access must be controlled with IAM.
PouchDB: what it does well
- Free, open-source JavaScript database.
- The same API works in browsers and Node.js.
- Supports offline use and bidirectional synchronization.
- Uses IndexedDB by default in browsers.
- Works with several CouchDB-compatible servers.
What to know first
- Direct sync requires a CouchDB-compatible backend.
- Documents must be serializable as JSON.
- Mobile Safari has a hard 50MB WebSQL limit.
- Cordova/PhoneGap unlimited data requires a SQLite plugin.
Alternatives to Firestore Alternatives to PouchDB The whole list