My Family Flow
Migrating a Firebase-dependent iOS app to a custom backend — cutting costs, killing latency, and unlocking features Firebase couldn't deliver.
The Problem
Auth + photo uploads meant more Firebase services, more bills, more vendor lock-in.
Firebase's offline sync was unreliable — data conflicts when two parents updated the same list.
Every read/write went through Firebase servers. The app felt sluggish on mobile connections.
Firebase pricing scaled with reads/writes. A family app with 5-10 users was hitting impossible unit economics.
Firebase couldn't support custom notification logic, complex queries, or the offline-first architecture the team needed.
What We Did
Backend rewrite
Replaced Firebase Cloud Functions with a custom Node.js backend. Full control over API logic, caching, and rate limiting.
Database migration
Moved from Firestore to PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM. Proper relational data, migrations, type-safe queries, predictable performance.
Infrastructure
Deployed on DigitalOcean droplets. Client kept control. No vendor lock-in. Transparent pricing.
Custom auth + storage
Rolled our own JWT auth. Photo uploads go to DigitalOcean Spaces. Full control over file lifecycle.
Offline-first
Local SQLite caching with conflict resolution. Works offline, syncs when connected, handles concurrent edits.
The Results
“Firebase got us to market in a weekend. Mitrix got us to production in three weeks.”
Your app outgrown its backend?
We'll audit it — free. Tell you exactly what needs migrating, in what order, and what it'll cost.