Firebase is great — until your backend gets complicated
Firebase gives you building blocks. Centrali gives you a backend that just works.
What starts simple gets complicated
It starts simple — a database and auth. But as your app grows, you start stitching together services.
| What you need | What Firebase gives you |
|---|---|
| A database | Firestore — great for documents, but limited relations and search |
| Background jobs | Cloud Functions — separate deploy and configuration |
| Search | Requires adding a separate service (Algolia, Elasticsearch) |
| Workspaces & isolation | Needs to be implemented manually |
| File storage | Cloud Storage — separate API and permissions |
| Auth + access control | Firebase Auth — identity handled, but access logic is custom |
That's multiple services to manage before you even start building your product.
Firebase gives you primitives — you assemble the backend yourself.
A different approach
Instead of stitching services together, Centrali gives you a backend that's already connected. You don't configure services — you just build.
| What you need | With Centrali |
|---|---|
| Database | Store and query your data — no setup, no migrations |
| Background jobs | Built-in jobs triggered by events, schedules, or HTTP |
| Search | Full-text search on every record — no extra service |
| Workspaces & isolation | Workspaces, teams, and data isolation — ready from day one |
| File storage | Upload and serve files globally — one API |
| Auth | Use any auth provider — Clerk, Auth0, or your own |
Everything works together automatically — no integration, no glue code.
One API. One system. No glue code.
Same backend task — very different complexity
Store a record and trigger a background job
With Firebase, you wire services together. With Centrali, they're already connected.
// Write a recordimport { getFirestore, collection, addDoc } from 'firebase/firestore'const db = getFirestore()await addDoc(collection(db, 'users'), {name: 'Jane',email: 'jane@example.com'})// Deploy a Cloud Function separatelyconst functions = require('firebase-functions')exports.onUserCreated = functions.firestore.document('users/{userId}').onCreate(() => {// send welcome email})
// Store a record — everything else is already wired upawait centrali.createRecord('users', {name: 'Jane',email: 'jane@example.com'})// Background job runs automatically
No separate deploy. No separate config. Just one system that works.
At a glance
Here's how Firebase and Centrali compare for common backend needs:
| Firebase | Centrali | |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Firestore (NoSQL, limited relations) | Structured or schemaless — your choice |
| Background jobs | Cloud Functions (separate deploy) | Built-in jobs triggered by events, schedules, or HTTP |
| Search | Requires external service (Algolia, Elasticsearch) | Full-text search built in |
| Workspaces & isolation | Custom implementation required | Workspaces, teams, and isolation built in |
| Auth | Firebase Auth (custom access logic) | Works with any auth provider (BYOT) |
| Deploy complexity | Multiple services to configure | One platform, one workflow |
Want the full breakdown? See the detailed comparison →
Centrali replaces the stack — not just one part of it.
Start your backend in minutes
No credit card. No setup. Just run the CLI and start building.
npx @centrali-io/create-centrali-app --template saas
Takes less than 5 minutes to get started.