Why Firebase for No-Code Designers? ✦ ft. Supabase

Hi, I'm Jian from ARCOA. 👋 

In my previous post, I mentioned diving into no-code app development using FlutterFlow and Firebase. But before jumping into the actual setup, I want to address a question many people ask: "Why Firebase?"

"Startups use Supabase. Firebase is expensive."

That's the consensus I found when I first started researching. Especially in developer communities, Supabase's SQL foundation and open-source philosophy are highly praised. 

So naturally, I considered Supabase first — but ultimately chose Firebase.

1. Firebase vs Supabase: A Designer's Perspective

My goal was to build and launch an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) quickly. When choosing a backend, I focused on three key factors:

1. Development Speed & Learning Curve: How quickly and easily can a designer implement without coding?
2. Frontend Compatibility: How seamlessly does it integrate with FlutterFlow?
3. Problem-Solving Support: When I get stuck, how easily can I find solutions?

Here's a comparison table based on my research:

Category	Firebase	Supabase
Database	NoSQL (Firestore)	PostgreSQL (SQL)
FlutterFlow Integration	Best Native support ⭐	Good Manual API (improving)
Real-time Features	Stable Built-in	Unstable Beta-level
Designer-Friendly	High Flexibility, instant integration ⭐	Medium Requires SQL knowledge
Free Tier	50K reads/day, 20K writes/day	500MB DB, unlimited API
Analytics	Built-in	Separate setup
Community	Large	Growing
Cost (Scaling)	Pay-as-you-go (can be expensive)	$25/month flat rate

2. Why I Chose Firebase: The Deciding Factors

1️⃣ Native Integration with FlutterFlow

Firebase integrates seamlessly with FlutterFlow. When creating a project, you can select the "Setup Firebase" option, which automatically configures Auth, Firestore, and Storage. In contrast, Supabase requires manually entering API keys and configuring Custom Actions one by one.

For a designer, this difference is decisive. Debugging API connection errors without coding knowledge is a massive wall — Firebase removes that wall entirely.

2️⃣ The Flexibility of Firestore

Firebase's database, Firestore, is NoSQL and highly flexible. Firestore stores data in documents, which means when features are added or data fields change, you can adapt without breaking the existing structure.

SQL requires strictly defining relationships between tables, demanding significant time for database design from the start. But MVPs change frequently. For a designer experimenting with early product ideas, this flexibility is the ultimate advantage.

💡 Designer Insight: Can You Do This Alone?

Firebase automates server management, deployment, and initial scaling. FlutterFlow replaces data connection coding with a single click. So instead of writing code, designers can focus solely on designing data structures.

I believe this is the most efficient way for designers to take ownership of backend development.

3️⃣ Cost Efficiency at the MVP Stage

Many articles claim Firebase is expensive, but for MVPs with under 1,000 users, the free tier is more than enough. Firestore's free plan offers 50,000 daily reads and 20,000 daily writes — perfectly adequate for my project's initial usage patterns.

Meanwhile, Supabase's free tier is limited to 500MB, which can fill up quickly for projects with many assets like card images. Firebase Storage offers 5GB for free, providing much more breathing room.

3. Supabase's Strengths

To be fair, Supabase has clear advantages:

• SQL-Based Structure: Better for complex relational data
• Cost Predictability: Flat-rate pricing makes budget planning easier when scaling
• Open Source: Self-hosting option gives you data sovereignty

If I were a developer — or had a team member proficient in SQL — I might have chosen Supabase. But as a solo designer building an MVP with no-code tools, Firebase was the better fit.

4. Firebase Risks & My Response Strategy

Of course, Firebase isn't a perfect choice. The biggest risk is cost burden when the app succeeds. If you scale to hundreds of thousands of users, Firebase's pay-as-you-go pricing can become more expensive than Supabase or self-hosted servers.

But I see this as a "calculated risk".

Why This Risk is Acceptable:

1. Risk = Success Signal: If costs are high enough to worry about, it means I've already acquired hundreds of thousands of users and the app is generating revenue. That's clear evidence of success 🎉
2. Strategic Response: When billing starts, I'll implement data optimization (Firestore collection structure) and caching strategies to reduce costs.
3. Future Scalability: If more complex server logic or extreme cost efficiency becomes necessary, I'll consider:

• Maintaining Firebase Authentication while migrating complex queries (Hybrid approach)
• Hiring developers for advanced optimization
• Partial migration to custom backend

Getting to market validation as quickly and reliably as possible is my top priority — and Firebase is the most efficient tool for that.

5. Conclusion: Choose What Fits Your Situation

Choosing Firebase wasn't about picking "better technology."
It was about selecting the right tool for my situation:

• ✅ Learning curve accessible to non-developers
• ✅ Perfect integration with FlutterFlow
• ✅ Flexible database structure
• ✅ Free tier sufficient for MVP
• ✅ Rich Korean documentation and community support

Next Up: Getting Started with Firebase!

Now that we've covered the "why," it's time to actually set up Firebase.

The next series will walk through every step of Firebase setup — from project creation to authentication configuration.

Coming next: Firebase Setup Series 

Stay tuned for practical, designer-friendly guides on building your Firebase foundation from scratch ✦