Google recently made a significant move by officially launching Firebase Studio! This is their bespoke development platform, created with the goal of competing with existing platforms like Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, and V0. For us frontend developers, when you hear “Firebase,” doesn’t your mind immediately go to, “Oh, that Google database thing”?
Well, things are different now!
It has undergone a complete transformation, becoming a comprehensive ecosystem that helps you build an AI application from scratch, even if you don’t know much code!
So, what exactly is Firebase Studio?
How does it work?
Can it really replace tools we’re currently using, like Cursor, or other similar platforms?
Let’s break it down and talk about it in detail.
What Exactly is Firebase Studio? #
Firebase Studio is an intelligent, cloud-based development environment powered by Gemini, designed to help you build high-quality full-stack AI applications from scratch, and even deploy them directly to production. It covers everything you can think of: APIs, backend, frontend, mobile — basically, if you can imagine it, it can probably build it.
It integrates the former Project IDX with Firebase’s dedicated AI assistant and the intelligence of the Gemini large language model. It’s a collaborative workspace accessible anytime, anywhere. Everything you need to develop an application is right there, making the process hassle-free!
It primarily offers the following capabilities:
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Import your own projects: Want to bring in an existing project? Easy! Just upload local files or connect your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repositories.
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Quick start with templates: It comes with a vast array of built-in templates, covering popular languages like Go, Java, .NET, and Python, as well as various frameworks such as Next.js, React, and Flutter. Pick whatever suits your needs, and build however you like.
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Prototype with natural language: Just tell Gemini what kind of application you want to build. Whether it’s a text description, an image, or even a rough sketch, it can bring your idea to life.
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AI Assistant built into the IDE: Gemini is directly integrated into your editor, helping you with everything from writing code and fixing bugs to generating tests and managing dependencies.
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Customizable development environment: It runs on a Code OSS-based virtual machine. Want to customize tools, configurations, or previews? Nix handles it all. You can even share your configurations with others, which is super convenient!
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Built-in emulators and deep Firebase integration: You can preview your app and run tests directly in the browser, and also use Firebase local emulators and Google Cloud tools for debugging. All these operations are completed in one place, offering an all-in-one service!
How Does It Work? #
To get started, simply visit studio.firebase.google.com and log in with your Google account. Once inside, you’ll find the dashboard incredibly clean and user-friendly.
There are primarily two ways to use it:
- The simplest approach is to directly describe what you want to the AI, and it will immediately generate an application prototype for you.
- Alternatively, if you prefer coding yourself, you can start from scratch, choose your preferred programming language or framework, and get to work!
Let me give you an example. Let’s build an application where you simply upload a photo of ingredients, and it generates a recipe for you!
My prompt was very simple, just one sentence:
Prompt: An app that generates recipes from photos
Clicking the ‘Prototype with AI’ button will take you to a chat interface. From then on, it’s all Gemini at work. It will first generate an app blueprint for you, clearly outlining the functionalities and style guidelines.
Here’s what Gemini generated for me:
App Blueprint:
Photo Upload: Allow users to upload photos of ingredients.
Ingredient Recognition: Use an AI model to identify the ingredients in the photo.
Recipe Suggestion: Use an AI tool to generate recipe suggestions based on identified ingredients.
Recipe Display: Display the generated recipes, including title, ingredients, and instructions.
Recipe Saving: Allow users to save generated recipes for later use.
Style Guideline:
Color: Green, White, Orange
Layout: Clean and organized layout with clear sections for photo input, ingredient display, and recipe presentation.
Iconography: Use consistent and recognizable icons for actions like saving, sharing, and editing.
Animation: Subtle animations for loading states and transitions between different sections of the app.
You can continue chatting with Gemini to adjust these features or modify the app’s style. Once you’re satisfied with the blueprint, click ‘Start Prototyping This App’. At this point, it will ask for your Gemini API key.
You can opt for it to automatically generate a key or create one yourself. If you choose to create it yourself, just go to Google’s AI Studio and click ‘Create API Key’.
Paste the key into Firebase Studio, then click ‘Continue’. In a few seconds, your application will be ready!
Let’s see how it works. I found an image on Unsplash. You can also pick any image from the web and paste its link into the application.
It looks a bit simplistic right now, but my idea is to eventually turn this into a mobile app where users can simply snap a picture at the market and instantly get recipe suggestions.
Gemini correctly identified most of the ingredients—but not all. For example, it mistakenly identified ketchup and chili, neither of which were present in the image. This highlights a weakness in Gemini’s visual model: it still struggles with precise object recognition.
Anyway, let’s continue and have the AI recommend recipes based on the identified ingredients. It generated a total of three recipes for me:
- Pork Stir-Fry with Bell Pepper and Ketchup
- Ketchup Pork
- Ketchup Glazed Pork Chops
Despite that, the application itself was generated quite smoothly, without any major hiccups. It didn’t crash, nor did it take too long; it was done with a single click!
If you want to manually modify the code and refine the application, just click the ‘Edit Code’ button. This will take you to a browser-based IDE, where you can continue development. I also noticed that the application was built with Next.js, which is a blessing for me, as I’m much more comfortable with Next.js than other frameworks.
And everything being cloud-based is a huge plus—no need to install anything locally. You can switch devices and pick up right where you left off, with seamless continuity.
The terminal, preview pane, and full project files are all there for you—it’s practically identical to VS Code. If you’ve ever used GitHub Codespaces or StackBlitz, this experience will definitely feel very familiar.
Let’s Talk About the User Experience #
Firebase Studio operates similarly to Bolt, V0, and Lovable. You make requests, and Gemini provides code modification suggestions based on your instructions. For example, I asked it to optimize the UI, aiming for a cooler, more modern look.
Prompt: Enhance the overall look and feel of the application. Make it more stylish and modern.
Unlike other AI code generators, Firebase Studio doesn’t apply changes immediately—it first allows you to preview them. While this is great if you prefer to have full control, it might slow down the pace if you’re looking for rapid iteration.
However, one of the most frustrating aspects is that changes you’ve already accepted cannot be undone! If you click ‘Accept’ and then realize you don’t like the result, unfortunately, there’s no ‘Undo’ button to revert. This is a significant drawback for developers who need to test and iterate rapidly!
Additionally, in the settings page, you can enable codebase indexing and select your Large Language Model (LLM) provider, which can enhance the AI’s knowledge base and response effectiveness.
For more features and adjustable settings in Firebase Studio, simply refer to the official documentation.
Publish Your Application #
Finally, Google allows you to host your applications through Firebase App Hosting. Once you’re satisfied with your app’s build, simply click the ‘Publish’ button in the top right corner of the dashboard and follow the on-screen prompts.
Firebase App Hosting offers GitHub integration and seamless connectivity with other Firebase products like Authentication, Cloud Firestore, and Vertex AI within Firebase. It provides built-in pre-configured support for Next.js and Angular, along with broad support for various popular web frameworks.
However, it’s worth noting that App Hosting is pay-as-you-go, so if you exceed the free tier, you’ll start incurring costs.
You can even deploy custom domains, track analytics data, and use Firebase’s built-in authentication system—all managed within a single dashboard, making things convenient!
Why This Matters #
Those interested in intelligent assistive coding platforms must be thrilled to hear about Firebase Studio’s arrival! While, in my opinion, it’s not as astonishing as other code generators currently, Google, with its vast resources, capital, and robust infrastructure, can rapidly develop Firebase Studio. It’s practically a given that they can rapidly develop Firebase Studio.
For developers, this means building powerful AI applications becomes simpler and more accessible, especially when integrated with Google’s existing services like Firebase Hosting, the Gemini model, Firestore, and Vertex AI. This synergy truly gives it a massive boost.
Microsoft will likely soon ramp up efforts to make GitHub Copilot even more powerful, while platforms like Stackblitz (Bolt.new), Vercel (V0), and Cursor are undoubtedly feeling the added pressure. They’ll need to quickly enhance their services or innovate with new features, or they risk falling behind.
Furthermore, Google, as a tech giant, has been very aggressive in releasing new AI models recently, such as Gemini 2.0 Flash with its built-in image editing capabilities. This could also be another reason why developers might lean towards Firebase Studio.
In simple terms, this launch is significant because it has stirred up the entire ecosystem, making it easier for developers and even general users to build things, and forcing competitors to quickly raise their game.
Pricing and Limitations #
Perhaps the most appealing aspect is that Firebase Studio can be used for free, allowing up to 3 workspaces. If you join the Google Developer Program, this limit increases to 10. For premium accounts, you can create up to 30 workspaces.
Some features, such as Firebase App Hosting, may require you to link a cloud billing account. Once linked, the following will automatically occur:
- Your Firebase project will automatically switch to the ‘Blaze’ (pay-as-you-go) plan.
- The Gemini API will also transition to a paid tier.
- Any usage exceeding the free tier will begin to incur charges.
So, getting started is free—but if you enable paid services, you’ll need to keep an eye on your usage.
Personally, I would still hope for more openness towards third-party tools. Currently, you’re essentially locked into Google’s ecosystem. While this might not be an issue for some, it can be a bit limiting if you use other cloud providers or prefer different models.
Final Thoughts #
It’s genuinely reassuring to see Google finally launch a proper AI application builder, and for free at that. In the past few weeks, they’ve released several practical tools, but Firebase Studio might be the most significant one for developers so far.
That being said, I’ve still noticed some issues. Just a few hours after its launch, some users, including myself, encountered errors due to high traffic. At times, applications couldn’t even be generated after several attempts.
You’re very likely to encounter such errors during your testing.
Furthermore, its current usage feels somewhat limited. You can’t use models other than Google’s own LLMs. Accepted code changes cannot be undone. There’s also no support for Supabase. Clearly, it aims to ’trap’ you within Google’s ecosystem, which isn’t ideal for those who prefer mixing and matching tools from different vendors.
However, newly launched products are often a bit messy. Given Google’s deep pockets and immense resources, they have the capacity to make rapid improvements. I’m sure they’re already quietly collecting feedback and working on updates behind the scenes. I eagerly anticipate significant improvements and new features in its next version.
So, while there are certainly areas for improvement, overall, it shows great potential.
For now, I still encourage everyone to give it a try. Play around with it, build something cool, and see if it fits into your development workflow. It might not replace Cursor or Copilot today, but this is Google’s first serious foray, and it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on!
If you’ve tried it and have any thoughts, feel free to share them in the comments!