Firestore is a document database, billed per read. A dashboard that counts orders by loading every order document gets slow and expensive quickly. Good Firestore dashboards use aggregation queries, summary documents or a BigQuery copy, and the tool you pick decides which of those you can use.
Below are six Firestore dashboard tools, with the point where each one stops. For the wider Firebase picture, see the best Firebase dashboard tools.
What a Firestore dashboard needs to do
- Use count, sum and average aggregation queries instead of reading every document.
- Handle nested fields and subcollections.
- Show data to people without Firebase console access.
- Let people open the documents behind a number and fix them.
The six tools at a glance
| Tool | Reads Firestore | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Jet Admin | Directly | Free plan; paid tiers |
| Rowy | Directly | Open source; paid cloud |
| Retool | Directly | Free tier; paid per user |
| Appsmith | Directly | Free self-hosted; paid tiers |
| Looker Studio | Via BigQuery export | Free; BigQuery costs |
| Firebase console | Usage and query insights | Included |
The tools
1. Jet Admin
Jet Admin connects to Firestore and builds dashboards with charts, KPIs and tables, next to the screens where people act on the documents behind the numbers. You describe the app and Jet generates it, then refine it visually or in code. Data stays in Firestore.
People sign in without console access and see only what their role allows. Granular permissions, SSO and audit logs are on the Business plan and above; unlimited users are on every plan, including Free.
Where it stops: analytics across millions of documents belong in BigQuery.
2. Rowy
Rowy is a spreadsheet-style Firestore UI, useful for inspecting and editing collections.
Where it stops: it is a table view, not a charting dashboard.
3. Retool
Retool's Firestore connector lets developers build dashboards with charts and JavaScript transforms.
Where it stops: developer-built, with per-user pricing.
4. Appsmith
Appsmith connects to Firestore for open-source, self-hosted dashboards.
Where it stops: JavaScript for aggregation logic, and you run the hosting.
5. Looker Studio
With the Firestore-to-BigQuery extension, Looker Studio can chart Firestore data for free.
Where it stops: it needs the export, and reports are read-only.
6. Firebase console
The console shows Firestore usage, and Query Insights shows query performance.
Where it stops: it reports on the database, not your business data.
Which to use
- Teams need Firestore dashboards they can act on, without console access: Jet Admin.
- You want a spreadsheet view of collections: Rowy.
- Developers will build it: Retool or Appsmith.
- You need analytics on large data: BigQuery export and Looker Studio.
- You need usage and performance numbers: Firebase console.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count documents in Firestore cheaply?
Use the count() aggregation query, which is billed per batch of index entries rather than per document, or keep counters in a summary document.
Can I use SQL on Firestore?
Not directly. Export to BigQuery for SQL, or use a tool with a native Firestore connector.
Chart Firestore without reading everything
Connect Firestore to Jet Admin and build a dashboard.