How to Migrate a Firebase Backend (Functions, Firestore, Auth) to Kubernetes in Your Own AWS or GCP Account

Migrating a Firebase backend to Kubernetes in a company-controlled cloud account is presented as a phased process driven by cost predictability, data residency, and customer ownership requirements, with the recommended order being an API layer, Cloud Functions, Firestore, and Firebase Authentication last. The approach uses an API layer to stop clients from directly accessing Firestore, converts HTTP functions into containerized routes, event triggers into queue consumers, and scheduled functions into Kubernetes CronJobs, while retaining Firebase Cloud Messaging where appropriate. Firestore requires the most redesign because no direct replacement reproduces its client SDK, security rules, real-time listeners, or offline persistence; PostgreSQL with JSONB or MongoDB are suggested alternatives, supported by dual writes, backfills, shadow reads, and custom WebSocket or SSE real-time features. Firebase Auth users can generally be moved without password resets by exporting Firebase’s modified scrypt hashes to compatible providers such as Ory or SuperTokens, or through just-in-time migration for providers such as Cognito or Zitadel, while supporting both token issuers during transition. The migration replaces Firebase’s variable per-operation pricing with a fixed Kubernetes infrastructure baseline plus database, networking, and operational staffing costs, making residency and control as important as direct cost savings. The piece also promotes Qovery as a platform for preserving Firebase-like deployment workflows, preview environments, and managed Kubernetes operations in an organization’s own AWS, GCP, Azure, or Scaleway account.

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