Firebase development services for teams that need auth, real-time data, push notifications, and serverless functions without managing infrastructure. Firestore modelled to avoid the read costs that surprise you at scale. Security rules that actually secure — not test-mode rules left in production. Cloud Functions that don't cold-start on the critical path. We build on Firebase with the cost discipline and security posture most teams skip.
Why Entalogics for Firebase
The Firebase projects we audit always have the same problems — test-mode security rules live in production, Firestore reads multiplying because nobody denormalised, Cloud Functions with 10-second cold starts because nobody configured min instances, and a Blaze bill climbing 40% month-over-month without traffic growing. Firebase is fast to start. It's expensive to get wrong.
Test-mode rules give the entire internet read/write access to your database. We write rules with role-based access, field-level validation, and rate limiting. Rules versioned in Git, tested in the emulator, deployed via CI. Not edited in the console.
A single page load can trigger 50–100 document reads because Firestore has no joins. We denormalise data, precompute aggregations in Cloud Functions, and use composite documents to reduce reads by 60–80%. The data model IS the cost model.
Cloud Functions for Firestore triggers, auth events, and lightweight webhooks. Cloud Run for long-running APIs, heavy computation, and AI inference. Each runtime used where it fits — not Functions for everything.
Min instances configured on critical functions. Functions bundled to reduce deployment size. Lazy imports for heavy dependencies. The 10-second cold start that kills user experience — eliminated before launch.
When Firebase, when not
Firebase gets you to market faster than any other backend. It also locks you into Google's pricing model and Firestore's query limitations. We'll tell you on the first call if Firebase fits your stage — and when you'll outgrow it.
PICK FIREBASE WHEN
CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES WHEN
WE SAY NO WHEN
What we build on Firebase
The shapes of Firebase development we deliver most. Each secured, cost-modelled, and production-ready.
Auth, Firestore, push notifications, Cloud Functions, Analytics. The complete mobile backend — shipped in weeks, not months.
Chat, collaboration, live dashboards. Firestore real-time listeners with proper listener management — no orphaned subscriptions burning reads.
Vertex AI called from Cloud Functions. Embeddings stored in Firestore. AI-powered features without managing ML infrastructure.
Test-mode rules replaced with role-based access. App Check enabled. Admin SDK access scoped. Security rules tested in CI before every deploy.
Existing projects with runaway bills. Read count analysis, data model denormalisation, Cloud Function right-sizing, Realtime Database for high-frequency updates.
When Firestore's document model no longer fits. Data remodelled for PostgreSQL. Auth migrated. Real-time replaced with Supabase subscriptions. Incremental, not flag-day.
The playbook
Firebase patterns from real production apps — not quickstart tutorials.
P01
Rules in Git. Tested with the Firebase Emulator Suite. Deployed via CI. Role-based access with custom claims. No test-mode rules surviving past development.
P02
User stats precomputed via Cloud Function triggers. Aggregations stored as documents, not calculated on read. Every hot-path query reads one document — not fifty.
P03
Critical functions configured with min instances to eliminate cold starts. Non-critical functions on default scaling. Cold start latency managed by priority, not ignored.
P04
Every screen's read count measured. Composite documents replacing multi-document fetches. Pagination enforced. onSnapshot listeners limited to what's visible on screen.
P05
Budget alerts at 50%, 75%, and 100% of expected spend. Per-feature cost attribution via BigQuery export. No runaway Cloud Function loop discovered on the invoice.
P06
Every developer runs against the Firebase Emulator — not production. Security rules, Cloud Functions, and Firestore triggers tested locally before deploy.
Signature case
A B2C social app on Firebase — 45,000 DAU generating 180 million Firestore reads/month, no denormalisation, every feed load reading 40+ documents, test-mode security rules live in production for 8 months, and Cloud Functions with 8-second average cold starts. Denormalised the data model, consolidated feed reads into composite documents, hardened security rules, configured min instances on critical functions in 6 weeks. Reads dropped 76%. Bill dropped 76%. Cold starts eliminated.
Before
180M reads/mo · 40+ docs per feed load · test-mode rules · 8s cold starts · $2,800/mo
After
43M reads/mo · 1 composite doc per feed · role-based rules · 0 cold starts · $680/mo
Engagement shape
A typical Firebase engagement. We build or optimise feature by feature — the current app stays live while we work.
Two senior Firebase developers. Firestore read audit, security rules review, Cloud Functions profiling, billing analysis. A ranked, dollarized RFC.
Security rules hardened, top read-heavy screens denormalised, billing alerts configured. Measurable cost reduction in week two.
Data model optimised, Cloud Functions refactored, new features built. Your app keeps running throughout.
Billing dashboard configured. Security rules in CI. Runbook handed to your team — or we stay on retainer.
Stack
Our default Firebase development stack — picked for production apps.
Engagement
No hourly retainer that bills for "thinking time." Pick a lane that matches your stage; everything is fixed-quote or transparently rated.
A defined scope, a fixed price, a senior-only team. From data model to production in 6–10 weeks.
$15k–$30k
FIXED SCOPE
Embedded engineers in your Slack, your standups. Senior Firebase and Cloud Functions engineers. Pause, resize, end with 30 days' notice.
$5k / eng / mo
PER ENGINEER
A long-term partner for Firebase-powered products — cost optimisation, security hardening, migration planning, hiring help.
custom
PROCUREMENT-FRIENDLY
Founder-direct
Thirty minutes with the founder. We'll bring a senior Firebase developer, the relevant playbook, and a candid read on whether Firebase is the right backend — or whether Supabase, a custom backend, or a different BaaS fits your product better.
