FirebirdSQL as free and low maintenance SQL database
Updated July 07, 2022
FirebirdSQL as free and low maintenance SQL database
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with FirebirdSQL
FirebirdSQL is a nearly zero maintenance, low footprint relational database system suited for all kinds of PC applications, since even an embedded version exists which doesn't require installation - just copy the files. It supports SQL and database sizes > 1 TB are no problem. It is fully Unicode compatible, drivers for various development environments are available either from the vendors of these environments or from 3rd parties and there exists a healthy open source community around it along with documentation.
- In a test back when I started to use it it beat MySQL Hands down on some easy speed test.
- While the included backup functionality of MySQL failed back then (don't remember the details) the one from Firebird did work out of the box and Delphi meanwhile even has easy to use components to use this from a program written in it.
- It stores the user accounts in a central database and not in the database the self written application uses, at least up to V2.5.
- Theres no embedded version for Android as far as I know.
- Versions prior to V3.0 could always read the older file format versions. That has changed now, which makes upgrading an existing DB harder in some scenarious.
- Zero maintenance
- Easy installation
- Works stable
- Can't really say that, as my application is most of the times given away for free. But if the RDBMS would cost money, giving my app away for free wouldn't have been done I guess.
Back then I evaluated Oracle 8, IBM DB2, Mimer, SAP DB, MySQL, Borland Interbase (not Embarcadero Interbase and that one has the same roots as Firebird) and most likely other RDBMS. Firebird was free, usage was ok, it was (for my application) maintenance free and speed was ok for me. And it didn't trash my system! Getting Oracle installed is quite some task in comparison! Meanwhile I also have used SQLite, while it works essentially (it was used on a mobile project) I don't really like that it doesn't care much about data types.
Do you think FirebirdSQL delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with FirebirdSQL's feature set?
Yes
Did FirebirdSQL live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of FirebirdSQL go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy FirebirdSQL again?
Yes
Using FirebirdSQL
I don't know how many, everybody who installs my software and that are > 100. It's a configuration and monitoring software for technical products.
1 - Skills required: knowledge of relational databases and general IT knowledge. As already written: the DB is in most scenarios zero maintenance!
- Backend DB for my application
Evaluating Firebird and Competitors
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
Price: since the software which uses this DB is most of the time given away for free paying for licenses wouldn't be great...
I would maybe use a different test DB structure for testing.
Firebird Implementation
- Implemented in-house
Change management was minimal - There was nothing to change: it was only me who started a new development project anyway and that needed a database.
- That not all tools were fully unicode compatible
- That some FB version which introduced unicode support did it wrong in the first version
Firebird Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
None | None |
Not sure if there's any and I didn't need that yet.
Using Firebird
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using | None |
- Any things which would lock data or whole tables in some other RDBMs systems as FB uses a multi generation architecture.
- None that I know of.