react-native-firebase vs firebase - which one should I use in React Native?

Question

Hey everyone,

I’m a bit confused about this. I’m building a React Native app using Expo and I want to use Firebase for things like auth, Firestore, and etc.

But I see two options:

  • react-native-firebase
  • firebase (official JS SDK)

From what I understood -
react-native-firebase is like a native version of Firebase, so it gives better performance and also supports things like push notifications, background stuff, and crashlytics.
firebase is the web SDK, which also works with React Native (mainly Expo), and it’s easier to set up, but it doesn’t have access to native features.

Now I’m confused which one to go with?
Should I use react-native-firebase for a long-term project, or just go with the normal firebase SDK since I’m using Expo?

Would love to know what others are using and what’s better in your experience.

Posted Oct 6, 2025, 7:08 PM UTC

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