.png)
Choosing between Backendless, Firebase, and Adalo?
Here’s a quick overview: Backendless offers power for tech-savvy users, Firebase excels at backend building, and Adalo’s user-friendly design suits all skill levels.
Read on to learn:
- Differences and similarities
- Closer looks at each platform, features, and pricing
- How to select the right platform
- Why most people will benefit from Adalo
Now, let’s take a look at how these platforms stack up against each other.
Backendless vs. Firebase vs. Adalo: Key Differences
Similarities
While Backendless, Firebase, and Adalo are different platforms for different audiences, here’s what they have in common:
- Free versions: These platforms let you try before you buy. Adalo, Backendless, and Firebase all offer free versions, so you can explore and see if they match your needs.
- Build backends and databases: While Adalo and Backend are full app builders because they enable you to create frontends (the parts of your app that users see and interact with), Firebase, Backendless, and Adalo each let you make your backend and database.
Your backend serves as your app’s brain and delivery system because it relays information from your database to the frontend and stores info that users enter in the frontend into the database. It also performs additional functions like API calls, integrations with third-party apps, and much more.
- Ecosystems: Confused about using a specific functionality? Want to learn how to use the platform in a formal, online course setting and connect with other users over a forum?
Each platform provides a robust ecosystem with enough information to overcome hurdles, get answers to technical questions from seasoned users, and learn everything about adding features and functionalities.
Backendless
%2520(1).png)
Who It’s Good For
Backendless is a low-code app builder that provides the tools for creating highly customized apps. The platform supports making apps for almost any need and offers diverse templates for e-commerce, booking, business tools, and more.
Because it’s low-code, you’ll need technical expertise to use the platform, specifically in data modeling, schema structuring, API calls, and algorithms. To create your database and backend, you’ll use Backendless’s own Codeless programming language, which is easier to learn if you have experience with coding.
Features
- Backendless supports publishing on the web, the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store. This allows you to market your app to the Google Search and app store markets, putting it in front of billions.
- As we mentioned, Backendless is very customizable. If you know how to write basic JavaScript commands, you can code in your unique features that perform tasks specific to your organization, which can supercharge your workflows or make your app stand out.
- If you’re a big organization like a Fortune 500 or an enormous business with offices on most continents, Backendless comes with enterprise features that might be right up your alley.
For instance, you can host your app on-prem (your in-house server) and scale your app to accommodate a growing user base.
Pricing
Start using Backendless for only $15/month (billed monthly) and send up to 500,000 push notifications with 10GB of storage. If you need more power, Backendless charges individual prices per feature. For example, 20MB expanded cloud deployment for scaling costs $20/month (billed monthly), and 200,000 extra data objects will run another $10/month (billed monthly).
You’ll need to check on Backendless’s webpage to get a full rundown of pricing per feature.
Firebase
%2520(1).png)
Who It’s Good For
Firebase appeals to nearly any backend developer, whether a freelancer, entrepreneur, small or medium business, or behemoth enterprise. It’s a backend development tool built on Google’s infrastructure, which means you can scale your Firebase backend from here to infinity (almost).
Because it doesn’t offer a frontend builder, you’ll need another platform or coding to create your frontend (which is why you’ll like the next option).
Features
- Firebase provides robust security features like secure authentication, data encryption, database security rules, and many more. This can give you better control over who can access your app’s information, creating a moat between your app and bad actors.
- If you’re building your frontend with coding, you can leverage Firebase’s powerful backend capabilities to accelerate your app’s overall performance and functionality without any fuss. Firebase works flawlessly with mobile frameworks like React Native and Flutter, allowing seamless backend integration with JavaScript.
- You’ll also get access to an eye-popping suite of tools and integrations like the Firebase Testing Lab to experiment with both Android (Google) and iOS (Apple) apps, free and unlimited Google Analytics and Firebase Performance Monitoring, Firebase Remote Configuration to make changes and many more.
Pricing
Firebase’s pricing is based on the number of services your app uses, the amount of data it transfers, and more — each item has its own cost. You’ll need to visit the Firebase site to understand what you might pay for your specific application.
It’s worth noting, however, that some Firebase users have praised the low costs associated with the apps they’re running.
Adalo
%2520(1).png)
Who It’s Good For
Adalo is a no-code native mobile app builder for individuals, entrepreneurs, and small and medium businesses. It’s flexible enough to create an app for nearly any use case or industry and easy enough for anyone without technical or coding skills to use right out of the box.
Features
- Adalo features nearly 40 templates for various apps, such as delivery, booking, business dashboards, and more. You can re-configure each to build a professional-looking app that properly reflects your brand and business needs.
- You can publish your app on 3 different outlets: The web, the Apple App Store, and Google Play Store. This makes it easy for your target audience to find and download your app.
- While Adalo is extremely easy to use, it has a surprising amount of power. You’ll get nearly pixel-perfect design freedom so your app looks precisely how you want, and you can take advantage of 1,000s of third-party integrations, like Stripe for payments.
Pricing
Start using Adalo for only $45/month (billed monthly).
Firebase vs. Backendless vs. Adalo: Which Platform Wins?
Ok, so you’ve made it to the end. It’s time to decide which is right for you, so look at these three factors to decide:
- App you want to build:
- Adalo: Provides the tools to create your frontend, backend, and database.
- Backendless: Allows for frontend, backend, and database construction, but only for technical users.
- Firebase: Only provides a platform for backend and database construction
- Difficulty of use:
- Adalo: Adalo is a true no-code platform, so anyone without any coding or technical skills can use it. If you can create an Instagram account, you can build an app with Adalo.
- Backendless: Requires a fair amount of technical expertise, especially in database construction, API calls, and the logic and structure behind coding languages. You’ll need to learn Backendless’s proprietary Codeless language to make your backend.
- Firebase: Users will need various technical skills and expertise, specifically experience with JavaScript, familiarity with CSS and HTML, the ability to design and structure non-relational databases (NoSQL), and much more.
- Flexibility and customization:
- Adalo: You’ll have access to loads of templates, plugins, and integrations, coupled with the design freedom to bring nearly any app idea to life.
- Backendless: Create almost any customized app using the Backendless low-code platform. You can also patch in your unique code to feature specialized functionalities or widgets.
- Firebase: Customize your own database and backend using Google’s architecture to meet your precise needs. Program your frontend and plug it into your Firebase backend for maximum design freedom.
- Pricing:
- Adalo: Starting at $45/month (billed monthly).
- Backendless: Plans start at $15/month (billed monthly) but don’t include full features. You’ll need to add additional features a la carte, with prices ranging from $10 to over $50/month per feature.
- Firebase: The pricing is directly tied to how much bandwidth, cloud space, and storage your app uses — it starts as low as $0.40 for certain features.
'{{rich-cta}}'
Next Steps: Choose Adalo
Are you looking for a platform that lets you create a frontend, backend, and database all in one place? Go with Adalo.
Adalo has a much lower learning curve than Backendless and Firebase, and it doesn’t require any technical skills or programming knowledge. You can start creating your app immediately after signing up.
You’ll also get enough design freedom and flexibility to customize an app that precisely meets your needs. When you finish building your app, you can publish it on the web, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store to get your app in front of millions of eyeballs.
When comparing Backendless vs. Firebase vs. Adalo, you’ll find that Adalo is the easiest and most complete platform for sparking life into any app idea.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
