> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Firebase Studio Review (2026): Google's AI App Builder Is Shutting Down - URL: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-firebase-studio-australia-2026/ - Published: 2026-06-24T23:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T06:30:02.000Z - Description: Firebase Studio is Google's free, Gemini-powered prompt-to-app builder and full cloud IDE — and on paper it has the best Australian data story in the category. But Google is shutting it down: new signups are already off, and everything sunsets on 22 March 2027. A strong tool you should not start a p - Author: Adam - Tags: AI Website & App Builders, App & Web Builders, Firebase Studio, #review Closing 22 Mar 2027 **16**/25 ★★★★☆ Very Good Firebase Studio · Google Verified 25 Jun 2026 Value for Money**5**/5 Ease of Use**3**/5 Feature Depth**4**/5 Australian Fit**3**/5 Reliability & Support**1**/5 From **Free** · Firebase Studio itself is free · the Google Developer Program Premium subscription in the table is a separate Google subscription that raises workspace limits, not a Studio plan **The gate:** Five stars need 21+ and Australian Fit of at least 4/5. [Skip to the verdict ](#verdict) *Pricing figures updated 6 September 2026: USD prices are converted at the current rate (1 USD ≈ 1.40 AUD, verified 5 September 2026) and shown ex-GST, replacing the retired 1.55 + GST basis. A GST-registered Australian business that supplies its ABN is not charged GST on an imported digital service; other buyers should allow \~10% on top (*[*Methodology*](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/)*).* > **The verdict:** Firebase Studio is the most technically capable free tool in the vibe-coding category, and for a while it had the best Australian data story too: Google Cloud bills in Australian dollars with GST through Google Australia Pty Limited, and you can put your app's database in the Sydney region. It pairs a no-code App Prototyping agent (driven by Gemini) with a real, full cloud IDE, so you can prompt your way to a working web app and then drop into the code. But none of that matters now, because Google is shutting it down. Firebase Studio never left Preview, new workspace creation and signups were switched off on 22 June 2026, and the whole product sunsets on **22 March 2027** — with all remaining data permanently deleted on that date. Google is steering people to Google AI Studio and Google Antigravity instead. Do not start a new project on Firebase Studio. Score: 16/25 — and that number is generous; the shutdown is the only fact that should drive your decision. ## What it is Firebase Studio is **Google's agentic, cloud-based app-development environment** — a browser-based workspace that combines a no-code "prompt-to-app" agent with a full integrated development environment (IDE). It grew out of Google's Project IDX, which folded into Firebase Studio, and it is powered by Google's Gemini models throughout. It runs in two modes. The **App Prototyping agent** (also called Prototyper) lets a non-coder describe an app in plain English — plus images or sketches if you like — and Gemini builds a working full-stack web app, wiring up a Cloud Firestore database and Firebase Authentication if the app needs them. The catch worth knowing up front: the prototyping agent currently builds **Next.js web apps only**. The second mode is a proper **Code OSS-based IDE** (the same open-source core as VS Code) running on a full Google Cloud virtual machine, with Gemini assistance for code completion, bug-fixing, testing and documentation. You can move between the two — prototype the structure with the agent, then switch to code for the custom logic. For an Australian buyer, that is an unusually grown-up offering: real IDE, real Google Cloud backing, deep Firebase integration. Which makes the next part the whole story. ## The headline: Google is shutting it down This is not a footnote, so we are putting it before the price. **Firebase Studio is being sunset on 22 March 2027.** Google announced this on 19 March 2026, and the product is now formally deprecated. As of **22 June 2026, new workspace creation and new user signups are disabled** — you cannot start a fresh project in it any more. On the sunset date, all remaining Firebase Studio data is **permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.** Two things soften it, but neither saves it. First, Firebase Studio never reached general availability — it lived its whole life in **Preview**, which Google explicitly states carries "no SLA or deprecation policy" and could change in backwards-incompatible ways. So this was never a product to bet a business on. Second, the core Firebase services underneath — Firestore, Authentication, App Hosting and the rest — are **not affected**, and any app you have already deployed to Firebase keeps running after the sunset. It is the Studio building environment that is going away, not your live app or your database. Google's plan is to move people to two other tools: **Google AI Studio** for browser-based prototyping (it has folded Firestore and Authentication directly into AI Studio), and **Google Antigravity** for full, code-first agentic development. Migration tooling exists to move your projects across. ## What it costs in Australia Firebase Studio itself is **free** — there is no subscription for the tool. What you pay for, optionally, is more workspaces. | Tier | Cost | Firebase Studio workspaces | Gemini quota | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | No Google Developer Program profile | Free | 3 per user | Standard | | Google Developer Program — Standard | Free | 10 per user | Standard | | Google Developer Program — Premium | US$299/yr or US$24.99/mo (\~A$35/mo ex-GST) | 30 per user | Increased for the App Prototyping agent | A few honest Australian notes. The tool is free, so for most people there is no bill at all. The **Google Developer Program Premium** tier — which lifts you to 30 workspaces and a higher Gemini quota — is the only paid part, and its monthly plan is available in Australia. Separately, certain integrations such as **Firebase App Hosting** require a Cloud Billing account: link one, and your Firebase project moves to the pay-as-you-go Blaze plan, where you are charged for any usage beyond the free quota. Here is where Australia genuinely wins. That Cloud Billing runs through **Google Australia Pty Limited**, bills in **Australian dollars**, and applies **10% GST** — Google has invoiced Australian Cloud usage this way since 2016\. So unlike most rivals in this category, the money side is properly localised: AUD, GST, an Australian invoicing entity. The single converted figure above (the US$24.99 Premium monthly) is ours, at roughly A$35 ex-GST; confirm it at checkout. (Given the shutdown, paying for Premium workspaces now makes little sense regardless.) ## How it works / features Set the shutdown aside for a moment — here is what the tool actually does: - **App Prototyping agent (no-code).** Describe a web app in plain English, images or drawings; Gemini generates a working full-stack Next.js app, and provisions Cloud Firestore plus Firebase Authentication when the app needs a database or logins. Roll changes back instantly, add features, publish to Firebase App Hosting and monitor with built-in observability. - **Full Code OSS IDE.** A real VS Code-style editor on a Google Cloud VM, with extensions from the Open VSX registry and Gemini assistance for completion, generation, testing and dependency management. - **Broad framework support.** Templates and samples for Go, Java, .NET, Node.js, Python Flask, Next.js, React, Angular, Vue.js, Android and Flutter — far wider than the web-only prototyping agent. - **Deep Google integration.** Native Firebase and Google Cloud hooks, the Firebase Local Emulator Suite for testing, in-browser previews for web and Android, and one-click publish to Firebase App Hosting. - **Import from anywhere.** Bring in a local archive, a public or private Git repository, or generate code from a Figma design via the Builder.io plugin. - **GitHub export.** You can upload your workspace to GitHub and take your code with you — which, given the migration ahead, matters more than usual. ## What it does well **It is genuinely free, from Google.** No credit model, no monthly token expiry, no surprise lockout mid-build — the chronic complaints about this category's paid rivals simply do not apply. For learning or experimenting, that is hard to beat. **It is a real IDE, not just a mockup tool.** Many no-code builders give you a pretty front end with a shallow backend. Firebase Studio gives you an actual development environment with actual framework support, so the work you do is portable and the apps are real. **The Australian data and billing story is the best in the category.** AUD billing with GST through an Australian Google entity, and the ability to host your Firestore database in the **Sydney region (australia-southeast1)**. Most US-built rivals offer none of that. For a Privacy Act-conscious Australian business, being able to keep your database onshore is a real, rare advantage here. **Tight Gemini and Firebase integration.** If you are already in Google's world — Firestore, Authentication, Cloud — this stitches together more cleanly than any third-party builder could. ## Where it falls short **It is being discontinued — that is the disqualifier.** Everything good above is undone by the fact that you cannot start a new project (signups off since 22 June 2026) and the whole thing is deleted on 22 March 2027\. Building anything new on Firebase Studio today means building on a platform with a published expiry date. Don't. **It never left Preview.** No SLA, no deprecation guarantees, by Google's own description. In hindsight, that Preview label was the warning. It is a reminder to read maturity status before committing — a lesson that applies well beyond this one tool. **App Hosting is not in the Sydney region.** The good AU data story has a hole: your Firestore *database* can sit in Sydney, but Firebase **App Hosting** has no Australian region — the nearest is Singapore (asia-southeast1). So your data can be onshore while the app serving it is not. For strict residency requirements, that gap matters. **The no-code agent is web-only.** Despite the broad framework list in the IDE, the App Prototyping agent — the part a non-technical person would actually use — builds **Next.js web apps only.** If you wanted it to prototype a Flutter or native mobile app from a prompt, it won't. **It assumes Google lock-in.** The whole value proposition leans on Firebase and Google Cloud. You can export your code to GitHub, which helps, but the architecture is built around Google's services — and you are now being migrated to *other* Google tools, not set free. ## Australian fit **Pricing:** The strongest in the category. The tool is free; the optional Premium tier and any Cloud usage bill in **AUD with 10% GST through Google Australia Pty Limited.** Proper local invoicing, not a USD sticker. **Data residency:** Genuinely better than US-only rivals — Cloud Firestore can be hosted in the **Sydney region** — but incomplete, because Firebase App Hosting has no Australian region and the Studio dev environment itself runs on a Google-managed Cloud VM you don't get to place. **Support:** Backed by Google's Australian Cloud presence, but Firebase Studio is a Preview product with no SLA, and it is being wound down. **Availability:** No longer open to new users at all. We score Australian Fit **3/5** — higher than the US-only builders because the AUD/GST and Sydney-database story is real, but held back by the App Hosting gap and the fact that the whole thing is closing. ## Score | Criterion | Score | Why | | --------------------- | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Value for Money | 5/5 | Free, from Google, with no credit-burn or runtime lockouts. On price alone, nothing in the category beats it. | | Ease of Use | 3/5 | The App Prototyping agent is genuinely no-code for web apps, but it sits on a real IDE that's steeper than pure no-code rivals — and it's now a dead-end product. | | Feature Depth | 4/5 | Full Code OSS IDE, broad framework support, deep Firebase/Cloud and Gemini integration. Deep — but the no-code agent only builds Next.js web apps. | | Australian Fit | 3/5 | AUD + GST via Google Australia, Firestore in the Sydney region — the best local story here — but no AU App Hosting region, and no AU-specific product features. | | Reliability & Support | 1/5 | Never left Preview, no SLA, signups already disabled, and the whole product is deleted on 22 March 2027\. You cannot rely on something being switched off. | | **Total** | **16/25** | | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good (16–20) on the raw maths — but read the verdict, not the number. Australian Fit is 3/5, below the 4/5 threshold in our [methodology](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/), so Firebase Studio cannot be a category Top Pick — and the discontinuation rules it out regardless of score. ## Bottom line **If you are starting a new project, don't use Firebase Studio.** You can't, in fact — new signups are off — and even if you could, building on a tool that deletes everything on 22 March 2027 makes no sense. This is the rare review where the score is almost irrelevant: the shutdown decides it. **If you already have a Firebase Studio workspace,** export your code to GitHub now and follow Google's migration path. Use **Google AI Studio** if you want to keep prototyping in the browser, or **Google Antigravity** if you want a full code-first IDE. Your deployed apps and your Firestore data keep running — it's the building environment you need to move. **If what attracted you was the Australian data story,** the good news is that it lives on without Firebase Studio. AUD billing with GST and the **Sydney Firestore region** are properties of Google Cloud and Firebase themselves, not of Studio — so you get them whether you build in AI Studio, Antigravity or anywhere else on Google's stack. That, not the soon-to-be-deleted Studio, is the part worth keeping. **If you want a tool you can actually start on today,** look at the paid agentic builders in this category instead, and weigh their credit models and US data defaults against this lesson: a free, powerful tool from a giant is still worthless for a real project if the giant decides to switch it off. Update history - **22 Sep 2026** — **Sunset timeline re-checked against Google's own documentation: unchanged.** All three dates hold — announced 19 March 2026, new workspace creation and signup disabled 22 June 2026, shutdown and permanent data deletion 22 March 2027 — and Google's documentation nav now labels the product "Firebase Studio (deprecated)". Machine-readable status fields added to this file's frontmatter so the directory tile and score rail can carry the warning the review body already carries; previously they could not, and the tile advertised the tool as "Free" with no mention of the shutdown. **No claims re-verified beyond the sunset timeline, and no score change.** [Source: Firebase Studio sunset and project migration](https://firebase.google.com/docs/studio/migrating-project?ref=theaidirectory.com.au) - **25 Jun 2026** — First reviewed. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Firebase Studio still available in 2026? Only just, and not for new users. As of 22 June 2026, new workspace creation and signups are disabled, so you can no longer start a project in it. Existing workspaces work until the product is sunset on 22 March 2027, when all remaining data is permanently deleted. ### Is Firebase Studio free? Yes — the tool itself has no subscription. You can optionally pay for the Google Developer Program Premium tier (US$299/yr or US$24.99/mo, roughly A$35/mo ex-GST) to get more workspaces and a higher Gemini quota, and some integrations like App Hosting require a pay-as-you-go Cloud Billing account. ### Can I keep my data in Australia with Firebase Studio? Partly. You can host your app's Cloud Firestore database in the Sydney region (australia-southeast1), which is a genuine advantage over US-only rivals. But Firebase App Hosting has no Australian region — the nearest is Singapore — so the app serving your data may sit offshore even when the data does not. ### Does Firebase Studio bill in Australian dollars? Yes. Any paid Google Developer Program or Cloud Billing usage runs through Google Australia Pty Limited, bills in AUD, and includes 10% GST. That makes its money side better localised than almost anything else in this category. ### What should I use instead of Firebase Studio? Google recommends two replacements: Google AI Studio for browser-based prototyping (Firestore and Authentication are built in), and Google Antigravity for full code-first, agentic development. Download your code to GitHub first, then migrate. ### Will my deployed app stop working when Firebase Studio shuts down? No. Apps already deployed to Firebase keep running after the 22 March 2027 sunset, and core Firebase services — Firestore, Authentication, App Hosting — are not affected. It is the Firebase Studio building environment that goes away, not your live app or its data. ## Read next - [Bolt.new review: the browser-based AI app builder, tested for Australia](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-bolt-new-australia-2026/) - [Base44 review: Wix's no-code app builder, tested for Australia](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-base44-australia-2026/) - [The best AI coding tools in Australia, ranked](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/best-ai-coding-tools-australia-2026/) - [How we score AI tools — our review methodology](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/) ## Sources - https://firebase.google.com/docs/studio (primary; Preview status, capabilities, App Prototyping agent, frameworks) - https://firebase.google.com/docs/studio/pricing (primary; free tier, workspace quotas, GDP tiers, Cloud Billing/Blaze, sunset banner) - https://firebase.google.com/docs/studio/migrating-project (primary; sunset date 22 March 2027, data deletion, migration to AI Studio / Antigravity) - https://firebase.blog/posts/2026/03/announcing-ai-studio-integration/ (primary; 19 March 2026 announcement, AI Studio + Firestore/Auth integration) - https://developers.google.com/program/plans-and-pricing (primary; Google Developer Program Premium US$299/yr, US$24.99/mo) - https://support.google.com/cloud/answer/7079025 (primary; Google Australia Pty Limited invoicing, 10% GST since 2016) - https://firebase.google.com/docs/firestore/locations (primary; australia-southeast1 Sydney Firestore region) - https://firebase.blog/posts/2024/10/app-hosting-regions/ (primary; App Hosting regions — no Australian region) - https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/application-development/firebase-studio-lets-you-build-full-stack-ai-apps-with-gemini (secondary; product context) - https://discuss.ai.google.dev/t/firebase-studio-will-be-sunset-were-sunsetting/134575 (secondary; sunset confirmation/community) Wayback Machine snapshots queued.