Choosing between Native mode and Datastore mode

When you create a new Firestore database, you can configure the database instance to run in Datastore mode which makes the database backwards-compatible with Datastore. This page helps you understand the difference between the following Firestore database modes: Native mode and Datastore mode.

Firestore in Native mode

Firestore is the next major version of Datastore and a re-branding of the product. Taking the best of Datastore and the Firebase Realtime Database, Firestore is a NoSQL document database built for automatic scaling, high performance, and ease of application development.

Firestore introduces the following features:

  • A strongly consistent storage layer
  • A collection and document data model
  • Real-time updates
  • Mobile and Web client libraries

Firestore is backwards compatible with Datastore, but the new data model, real-time updates, and mobile and web client library features are not. To access all Firestore features, you must use Firestore in Native mode.

Firestore in Datastore mode

Firestore in Datastore mode uses Datastore system behavior but accesses Firestore's storage layer, removing the following Datastore limitations:

  • All Datastore queries are now strongly consistent, unless you explicitly request eventual consistency.
  • Queries in transactions are no longer required to be ancestor queries.
  • Transactions are no longer limited to 25 entity groups.
  • Writes to an entity group are no longer limited to 1 per second.

Datastore mode disables Firestore features that are not compatible with Datastore:

  • The project will accept Datastore API requests and deny Firestore API requests.
  • The project will use Datastore indexes instead of Firestore indexes.
  • You can use Datastore client libraries with this project but not Firestore client libraries.
  • Firestore real-time capabilities will not be available.
  • In the Google Cloud console, the database will use the Datastore viewer.

Pricing and locations

Native mode and Datastore mode databases use the same pricing structure and are available in the same locations. Pricing and locations are described in detail in the following pages:

Firestore in Native mode

Firestore in Datastore mode

Choose a database mode

When you create a new Firestore database, you must select a database mode. You can have both Datastore mode and Native mode databases in the same project, but each database will be of a single type. We recommend the following when choosing a database mode:

  • Use Firestore in Datastore mode for new server projects.

    Firestore in Datastore mode allows you to use established Datastore server architectures while removing fundamental Datastore limitations. Datastore mode can automatically scale to millions of writes per second.

  • Use Firestore in Native mode for new mobile and web apps.

    Firestore offers mobile and web client libraries with real-time and offline features. Native mode can automatically scale to millions of concurrent clients.

Feature comparison

The following table compares the system behavior of the database modes:

Firestore in
Native mode		 Firestore in
Datastore mode
Data model Document database organized into documents and collections. Entities organized into kinds and entity groups.
Storage Layer A strongly consistent storage layer. A strongly consistent storage layer.
Queries and transactions
  • Strongly consistent queries across the entire database
  • Removes the previous consistency limitations of Datastore
  • Strongly consistent queries across the entire database
  • Transactions can access any number of entity groups
Datastore v1 API support No, requests are denied Yes
Firestore v1 API support Yes No, requests are denied
Real-time updates

Supports the ability to listen to a document or a set of documents for real-time updates.

While listening to a document or set of documents, your clients are notified of any data changes and sent the newest set of data.

 Not supported
Offline data persistence The mobile and web client libraries support offline data persistence. Not supported
Client libraries Firestore client libraries:
  • Java
  • Python
  • PHP
  • Go
  • Ruby
  • C#
  • Node.js
  • Android
  • iOS+
  • Web
  • C++
  • Unity
 Datastore client libraries:
  • Java
  • Python
  • PHP
  • Go
  • Ruby
  • C#
  • Node.js
  • C++
Security
  • Identity and Access Management (IAM) manages database access
  • Firestore Security Rules support serverless authentication and authorization for the mobile and web client libraries
 IAM manages database access
Performance Automatically scales to millions of concurrent clients. Automatically scales to millions of writes per second.
SLA Firestore SLA Firestore SLA
Locations

Both modes support the same locations. For a detailed list of locations, see the following pages:

Pricing

Both modes use the same pricing structure for entity and document operations.

Firestore in Datastore mode does not charge for small operations.

Both modes use the same pricing structure for stored data and network bandwidth.

For more details about pricing, see the following pages:

Console Firebase Console and Google Cloud console Firestore Viewer Google Cloud console Datastore Viewer
Namespaces Not supported Namespaces supported
App Engine client library integration

Not supported in the App Engine standard environment Python 2.7 and PHP 5.5 runtimes

Supported in the App Engine standard environment, all other runtimes

Supported in the App Engine flexible environment, all runtimes

 Supported in all runtimes

Create a new database

You can create a new Firestore database in either Native mode or Datastore mode. This choice does not depend on the modes of any existing databases in your project.

See Create and manage databases for more info.

Change between Native mode and Datastore mode

If your database is empty, you can change between Native mode and Datastore mode.

Change database to Native mode:

gcloud

Use the gcloud firestore databases update command to change your database to Native mode.

gcloud firestore databases update --type=firestore-native --database='DATABASE_ID'

Replace DATABASE_ID with the ID of your database.

rest

curl --request PATCH \
--header "Authorization: Bearer "$(gcloud auth print-access-token) \
--header 'Accept: application/json' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{"type":"FIRESTORE_NATIVE"}' \
"https://firestore.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/databases/DATABASE_ID?updateMask=type"

Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: the project ID
  • DATABASE_ID: the database ID

Change database to Datastore mode:

gcloud

Use the gcloud firestore databases update command to change your database to Datastore mode.

 gcloud firestore databases update --type=datastore-mode --database='DATABASE_ID'

Replace DATABASE_ID with the ID of your database.

rest

curl --request PATCH \
--header "Authorization: Bearer "$(gcloud auth print-access-token) \
--header 'Accept: application/json' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{"type":"DATASTORE_MODE"}' \
"https://firestore.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/databases/DATABASE_ID?updateMask=type"

Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: the project ID
  • DATABASE_ID: the database ID