aws-sdk vs firebase vs firebase-admin
Cloud Service SDKs Comparison
1 Year
aws-sdkfirebasefirebase-adminSimilar Packages:
What's Cloud Service SDKs?

Cloud service SDKs provide developers with tools and libraries to interact with cloud services, enabling functionalities like data storage, authentication, and serverless computing. These SDKs streamline the integration of cloud services into applications, allowing developers to leverage powerful cloud infrastructure without needing to manage the underlying servers. The AWS SDK, Firebase, and Firebase Admin SDK each offer unique features tailored to different use cases, making them essential for modern web development.

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aws-sdk9,659,4727,61598.2 MB13 months agoApache-2.0
firebase2,337,7044,91125.2 MB6597 days agoApache-2.0
firebase-admin1,926,7241,6471.34 MB19812 days agoApache-2.0
Feature Comparison: aws-sdk vs firebase vs firebase-admin

Service Coverage

  • aws-sdk:

    AWS SDK provides extensive coverage of AWS services, allowing developers to interact with nearly all AWS offerings, from storage and databases to machine learning and IoT. This makes it suitable for complex applications that require multiple AWS services to work together.

  • firebase:

    Firebase focuses on mobile and web application development, offering services like Firestore, Realtime Database, Authentication, and Hosting. It is designed for rapid development and is particularly strong in real-time data synchronization and user authentication.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK is tailored for server-side operations, allowing full access to Firebase services with elevated privileges. It is designed for backend applications that need to manage users, send notifications, and perform administrative tasks.

Ease of Use

  • aws-sdk:

    AWS SDK has a steeper learning curve due to the vast array of services and configurations available. Developers may need to familiarize themselves with AWS concepts and best practices to effectively use the SDK.

  • firebase:

    Firebase is known for its simplicity and ease of use, especially for beginners. Its straightforward APIs and documentation make it easy to integrate into applications quickly, making it a popular choice for startups and small projects.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK is straightforward for developers familiar with Firebase. It provides a simple API for performing administrative tasks, but understanding Firebase's security rules and structure is essential for effective use.

Real-time Capabilities

  • aws-sdk:

    While AWS SDK supports real-time features through services like AWS AppSync and WebSocket APIs, it requires more setup and configuration compared to Firebase. It is less focused on real-time data synchronization out of the box.

  • firebase:

    Firebase excels in real-time data synchronization, allowing developers to build applications that reflect changes instantly across clients. This is particularly useful for chat applications, collaborative tools, and any app requiring live updates.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK does not directly provide real-time capabilities but can manage real-time data operations through Firestore or Realtime Database. It is used primarily for backend operations rather than real-time data handling.

Authentication

  • aws-sdk:

    AWS SDK offers a robust authentication system through AWS Cognito, which supports user sign-up, sign-in, and access control. It is suitable for applications requiring complex user management and security features.

  • firebase:

    Firebase provides a simple and effective authentication system that supports email/password, social logins, and anonymous authentication. It is easy to implement and well-suited for applications needing quick user onboarding.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK allows server-side management of users, enabling functionalities like user creation, deletion, and role management. It is essential for applications that require administrative control over user accounts.

Pricing Model

  • aws-sdk:

    AWS SDK operates on a pay-as-you-go model, where costs are based on the services used and the resources consumed. This can lead to unpredictable costs, especially for applications with variable usage patterns.

  • firebase:

    Firebase offers a free tier with generous limits, making it accessible for small projects and startups. However, costs can increase with usage, especially for Firestore and Realtime Database as the application scales.

  • firebase-admin:

    Firebase Admin SDK is part of the Firebase ecosystem, and its usage is subject to the same pricing model as Firebase services. It allows for efficient management of resources while adhering to the Firebase pricing structure.

How to Choose: aws-sdk vs firebase vs firebase-admin
  • aws-sdk:

    Choose AWS SDK if you need comprehensive access to a wide range of AWS services, including S3 for storage, DynamoDB for NoSQL databases, and Lambda for serverless computing. It is ideal for applications that require scalability and flexibility across various AWS services.

  • firebase:

    Choose Firebase if you are looking for a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution that provides real-time database capabilities, authentication, and hosting. Firebase is particularly suitable for mobile and web applications that require rapid development and real-time features, such as chat applications or collaborative tools.

  • firebase-admin:

    Choose Firebase Admin SDK if you need to perform administrative tasks on Firebase services, such as managing users, accessing Firestore or Realtime Database securely, and sending notifications. It is best used in server-side applications or cloud functions where elevated privileges are necessary.

README for aws-sdk

AWS SDK for JavaScript

NPM version

In Maintenance Mode as of September 8, 2024

The AWS SDK for JavaScript v2 has entered maintenance mode on September 8, 2024 and will be reaching end-of-support on September 8, 2025. During maintenance mode, AWS will limit SDK releases to address critical bug fixes and security issues only. The SDK will not receive API updates for new or existing services, or be updated to support new regions.

We recommend that you migrate to AWS SDK for JavaScript v3. For dates, additional details, and information on how to migrate, please refer to the linked announcement.

The AWS SDK for JavaScript v3 is the latest and recommended version, which has been GA since December 2020. Here is why and how you should use AWS SDK for JavaScript v3. You can try our migration scripts in aws-sdk-js-codemod to migrate your application from v2 to v3.

To get help with your migration, please follow our general guidelines to open an issue and choose guidance. To give feedback on and report issues in the v3 repo, please refer to Giving feedback and contributing.

Watch this README and the AWS Developer Tools Blog for updates and announcements regarding the maintenance plans and timelines.

A maintenance mode message may be emitted by this package on startup. To suppress this message, use an environment variable:

AWS_SDK_JS_SUPPRESS_MAINTENANCE_MODE_MESSAGE=1 node my_program.js

or a JavaScript setting as follows:

var SDK = require('aws-sdk');
require('aws-sdk/lib/maintenance_mode_message').suppress = true;

Table of Contents:

Getting Started

How To Install

In the Browser

To use the SDK in the browser, simply add the following script tag to your HTML pages:

<script src="https://sdk.amazonaws.com/js/aws-sdk-2.1692.0.min.js"></script>

You can also build a custom browser SDK with your specified set of AWS services. This can allow you to reduce the SDK's size, specify different API versions of services, or use AWS services that don't currently support CORS if you are working in an environment that does not enforce CORS. To get started:

http://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-javascript/v2/developer-guide/building-sdk-for-browsers.html

The AWS SDK is also compatible with browserify.

For browser-based web, mobile and hybrid apps, you can use AWS Amplify Library which extends the AWS SDK and provides an easier and declarative interface.

In Node.js

The preferred way to install the AWS SDK for Node.js is to use the npm package manager for Node.js. Simply type the following into a terminal window:

npm install aws-sdk

In React Native

To use the SDK in a react native project, first install the SDK using npm:

npm install aws-sdk

Then within your application, you can reference the react native compatible version of the SDK with the following:

var AWS = require('aws-sdk/dist/aws-sdk-react-native');

Alternatively, you can use AWS Amplify Library which extends AWS SDK and provides React Native UI components and CLI support to work with AWS services.

Using Bower

You can also use Bower to install the SDK by typing the following into a terminal window:

bower install aws-sdk-js

Usage with TypeScript

The AWS SDK for JavaScript bundles TypeScript definition files for use in TypeScript projects and to support tools that can read .d.ts files. Our goal is to keep these TypeScript definition files updated with each release for any public api.

Pre-requisites

Before you can begin using these TypeScript definitions with your project, you need to make sure your project meets a few of these requirements:

  • Use latest version of TypeScript. We recommend 4.x+

  • Includes the TypeScript definitions for node. You can use npm to install this by typing the following into a terminal window:

    npm install --save-dev @types/node
    
  • If you are targeting at es5 or older ECMA standards, your tsconfig.json has to include 'es5' and 'es2015.promise' under compilerOptions.lib. See tsconfig.json for an example.

In the Browser

To use the TypeScript definition files with the global AWS object in a front-end project, add the following line to the top of your JavaScript file:

/// <reference types="aws-sdk" />

This will provide support for the global AWS object.

In Node.js

To use the TypeScript definition files within a Node.js project, simply import aws-sdk as you normally would.

In a TypeScript file:

// import entire SDK
import AWS from 'aws-sdk';
// import AWS object without services
import AWS from 'aws-sdk/global';
// import individual service
import S3 from 'aws-sdk/clients/s3';

NOTE: You need to add "esModuleInterop": true to compilerOptions of your tsconfig.json. If not possible, use like import * as AWS from 'aws-sdk'.

In a JavaScript file:

// import entire SDK
var AWS = require('aws-sdk');
// import AWS object without services
var AWS = require('aws-sdk/global');
// import individual service
var S3 = require('aws-sdk/clients/s3');

With React

To create React applications with AWS SDK, you can use AWS Amplify Library which provides React components and CLI support to work with AWS services.

With Angular

Due to the SDK's reliance on node.js typings, you may encounter compilation issues when using the typings provided by the SDK in an Angular project created using the Angular CLI.

To resolve these issues, either add "types": ["node"] to the project's tsconfig.app.json file, or remove the "types" field entirely.

AWS Amplify Library provides Angular components and CLI support to work with AWS services.

Known Limitations

There are a few known limitations with the bundled TypeScript definitions at this time:

  • Service client typings reflect the latest apiVersion, regardless of which apiVersion is specified when creating a client.
  • Service-bound parameters use the any type.

Getting Help

The best way to interact with our team is through GitHub. You can open an issue and choose from one of our templates for bug reports, feature requests or guidance. You may also find help on community resources such as StackOverFlow with the tag #aws-sdk-js. If you have a support plan with AWS Support, you can also create a new support case.

Please make sure to check out our resources too before opening an issue:

Please see SERVICES.md for a list of supported services.

Maintenance and support for SDK major versions

For information about maintenance and support for SDK major versions and their underlying dependencies, see the following in the AWS SDKs and Tools Shared Configuration and Credentials Reference Guide:

Contributing

We welcome community contributions and pull requests. See CONTRIBUTING.md for information on how to set up a development environment and submit code.

License

This SDK is distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE.txt and NOTICE.txt for more information.