DynamoDB vs Firestore
Is DynamoDB or Firestore better for my app?
Both are fully managed, serverless NoSQL databases, but they solve different problems. Amazon DynamoDB is an AWS key-value and document store tuned for predictable low-latency access at large scale. Google Cloud Firestore is a GCP document database whose defining feature is realtime snapshot listeners and offline-capable mobile and web SDKs. Choose DynamoDB for AWS-native backends; choose Firestore for realtime, client-connected apps.
| Characteristic | DynamoDB | Firestore |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud platform | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Google Cloud / Firebase (GCP) |
| Data model | Tables of items (key-value and document); attributes on each item | Documents grouped into collections; documents hold nested fields and subcollections |
| Query API | Query/Scan via AWS SDK, CLI, or PartiQL; access driven by primary key and indexes | Document/collection queries via client and server SDKs, with chained filters and ordering |
| Realtime sync and offline | No native client sync; change capture is via DynamoDB Streams, consumed by your own code (e.g. Lambda) | Built-in realtime snapshot listeners; offline persistence and local caching in the Apple, Android, and web SDKs |
| Indexes | Global secondary indexes (GSI) and local secondary indexes (LSI), defined explicitly | Automatic single-field indexes plus explicit composite indexes for multi-field queries |
| Consistency | Eventually consistent reads by default; strongly consistent reads optional (and on LSIs); GSI reads are eventually consistent only | Strongly consistent queries |
| Scaling | Serverless; on-demand or provisioned throughput; global tables for multi-Region replication | Serverless with automatic scaling and multi-region replication |
| Pricing model | Read/write capacity units (RCU/WCU) — provisioned or on-demand — plus storage | Per-document reads, writes, and deletes, plus storage, network egress, and index entries read; free daily quota |
| Best fit | AWS-native, high-scale backends with well-defined access patterns | Realtime, mobile-first, and client-connected apps on GCP/Firebase |
When DynamoDB is the better choice
DynamoDB fits when your stack is on AWS and you want a database that stays fast and predictable as traffic grows. Its capacity model (RCU/WCU, provisioned or on-demand) and single-digit-millisecond access suit high-throughput backends — shopping carts, session stores, event logging, and any workload with well-understood access patterns you can model around a primary key plus GSIs.
It is also the better pick when you need strongly consistent reads on your primary table, tight IAM-based access control, or integration with the wider AWS ecosystem (Lambda, S3 export, streams into analytics). If your clients talk to your own API rather than directly to the database, DynamoDB's lack of a built-in client sync layer is not a limitation.
When Firestore is the better choice
Firestore is the stronger option for realtime and mobile-first apps. Its snapshot listeners push changes to connected clients as soon as data updates, and its Apple, Android, and web SDKs cache data locally so the app keeps working offline and re-syncs when the device reconnects. That makes it a natural fit for chat, collaborative tools, live dashboards, and consumer mobile apps.
It is also a good default when you are already on Google Cloud or Firebase, want strongly consistent queries without opting in per request, or prefer letting clients query the database directly (guarded by security rules) instead of building an API tier. Its automatic indexing removes some upfront schema-design work at small scale.
Working with DynamoDB
Once you have chosen DynamoDB, DynoTable is a desktop client for working with your tables directly — browsing and editing items, running queries, and building expressions without hand-writing every request. It reads your standard AWS credentials and talks to DynamoDB in your own account.
If you are still assembling requests by hand, the free DynamoDB Expression Builder generates key conditions, filter expressions, and update expressions with the correct attribute-name and value placeholders for the AWS SDK, CLI, boto3, and PartiQL. DynoTable is a closed-source commercial app; this page is a neutral technical comparison, not a benchmark.
FAQ
Should I use DynamoDB or Firestore for a mobile app?
For a mobile app that needs realtime updates or offline support, Firestore is usually the more direct choice: its Apple, Android, and web SDKs include realtime snapshot listeners and offline persistence out of the box. DynamoDB has no native client sync layer — you would build realtime behaviour yourself using DynamoDB Streams and your own backend. DynamoDB is the better fit when clients call your own API rather than the database directly.
Which is cheaper, DynamoDB or Firestore?
Neither is universally cheaper; they bill on different axes. DynamoDB charges for read/write capacity units (provisioned or on-demand) plus storage, so cost tracks throughput. Firestore charges per document read, write, and delete, plus storage, egress, and index entries read, with a free daily quota. Read-heavy or realtime-listener-heavy workloads can accumulate Firestore document-read charges, while steady high-throughput workloads often model more predictably on DynamoDB. Estimate against your own access pattern using each provider's current pricing page.
Does DynamoDB have realtime sync like Firestore?
Not natively on the client. Firestore's snapshot listeners stream changes to connected apps automatically. DynamoDB's equivalent building block is DynamoDB Streams, which captures item-level changes; you consume that stream with your own code (for example an AWS Lambda function) to push updates onward. It is realtime change capture, but you build the delivery to clients yourself.
Related
- Learn when to use DynamoDB for the access patterns it fits best.
- Understand DynamoDB Streams — the change-capture mechanism behind any realtime pipeline.
- Build queries visually with the DynamoDB Expression Builder.
- Download DynoTable to work with your DynamoDB tables on macOS, Windows, or Linux.
Last verified 2026-07-12 against the AWS DynamoDB Developer Guide and the Google Cloud Firestore documentation. Google Cloud Firestore is a trademark of its respective owner; referenced here for identification only.