Google’s Firebase Studio is a Letdown for AI Builders
Tried Google’s new Firebase Studio and found it lacking. From limited model access to clunky outputs, here’s why it’s not ready for serious developers or even basic prototypes.
So, Google has quietly launched something new—Firebase Studio. If you’re familiar with Google IDX, you’ll immediately recognize it as an evolution of that platform. Essentially, FireStudio is Google’s take on the whole “build full-stack apps using AI” trend. Think: Bolt.new, Lovable, Replit, etc. Same playground, similar goals—use AI to build your product end-to-end. But does it actually deliver?
No Time to Read? Here’s the Frustration Recap
Sounds Great, Falls Flat
Google’s Firebase Studio tries to take on Replit, Bolt.new, and Lovable—but it stumbles hard.
Great Planning, Fast Start
👍 Generates a solid plan and writes code fast.
👍 Easy to deploy on Firebase projects.
👍 Auto-generates Gemini API key with one click.
But… the Reality? Ouch.
👎 Limited to Google models only—no GPT, no Claude.
👎 Messy output: broken routing, sloppy UI, bad file structure.
👎 Couldn’t fix basic design issues—even after repeated prompts.
👎 Said “can’t help”… then tried anyway. 🤷♂️
Final Verdict
Not even ready for a prototype.
Disappointing debut from Google.
Still hopeful it’ll improve… eventually.
Let’s dive into it.
First Impressions: Not Great
Honestly, my first attempt with FireStudio didn’t leave me impressed. In fact, it felt underwhelming.
Here’s the thing: FireStudio is built by Google, which means it’s tightly coupled with Google’s own models. That’s both a strength and a limitation. As a builder, you don’t get to pick from the best LLMs out there. We all know some of the best models right now are Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3.7, OpenAI’s GPT-4-turbo, DeepSeek V2 or R1—but most of them? Not accessible in FireStudio. You’re boxed into the Gemini ecosystem.
That’s a big deal. Because if your backend is AI-powered, your choice of model really matters.
The Cool Part: The Planning UI
That said—there are things I liked. And one that really stood out was the Planning screen. As soon as you type a prompt, FireStudio throws out a full-fledged plan—what it’s going to build, how it’s going to structure it, and even the components. It’s like a mini project manager working behind the scenes.
Once you approve it, it jumps into execution. The code writing speed? Super fast. That was honestly impressive.
But then… the final output.
Check out my previous article
Execution Woes: Feels Rushed
The application it built looked like something that was stitched together in a hurry. Like a rushed hackathon MVP. Not clean. Not polished. And definitely not something you’d expect from a Google product. It failed to stand out in any meaningful way compared to what competitors are already doing (and doing better).
It struggled with basics—routing issues, file structure mishaps, and even simple UI changes like building a “beautiful home screen.” I had to ask multiple times, and even then, it couldn’t get it right.
One moment that really made me chuckle: it said “I can’t help with that”, and when I asked why not, it suddenly changed its mind and went back to trying again. Wild.
A Small Win: Gemini API Key Integration
Here’s a win though—if your app needs a Gemini API key, FireStudio can generate one automatically with just a button click. It even feeds it straight into the app. That’s a nice touch. Smooth developer experience there.
The Verdict (For Now)
At this moment, Firebase Studio isn’t ready, even for basic prototyping. It feels like an alpha version that got shipped to market just to join the AI gold rush. But here’s why I’m not entirely writing it off:
Google has a solid track record of improving things over time. I’ve seen it with products like “Be My Eyes” and the Gemini chatbot. What started off average became great with continuous updates. So I’m hopeful they’ll bring that same iterative magic to FireStudio.
But as of today? It’s not the tool I’d recommend to anyone looking to build even a basic working prototype.
Fingers crossed, Google. We’re watching.
Check out the demo video that’s not great !!