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SPECIFICTION
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Firebird vs InterBase

Firebird

firebirdsql.org

InterBase

embarcadero.com

Side by side

FigureFirebirdInterBase
Price from€199/mo—
Free planYes—
Free trial——
Open source——
WindowsYesYes
macOSYesYes
LinuxYesYes
iOS—Yes
Android—Yes
Self-hostedYes—
Plans published20
Spec score · Relational Databases8.4 (#8)6.0 (#36)

Plans

Firebird

  • Firebird SQLFree
  • Enterprise subscription€199 a month

Firebird pricing →

InterBase

No plans published.

InterBase pricing →

In their own words

Firebird

Firebird is a free, open-source relational database management system with ANSI SQL features. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and supports self-hosted deployment. Its multi-generation architecture generally allows readers to access data without blocking writers. SQL features include stored procedures, triggers, common table expressions, cross-database queries, and flexible transaction management. A Trace API and monitoring tables support real-time monitoring, SQL debugging, and auditing. Security controls include users and roles, GRANT and REVOKE permissions, and a database owner concept; Windows Trusted Authentication can integrate with Windows domain or Active Directory security. Deployment choices include embedded, SuperServer, SuperClassic, and Classic architectures. Backup options include online backups and dumps, as well as incremental backup with partly supported point-in-time recovery. Drivers include Java JDBC,.NET, Python, ODBC, PHP, Delphi, and C++ Builder. Free community support is available through mailing lists, alongside commercial and special support. Firebird lists versions 5.0.4, 4.0.7, and 3.0.14 as latest in their series; versions 2.5 and earlier are discontinued and no longer maintained. The enterprise subscription is €199 a month, billed from €199/month/1 servers.

Visit firebirdsql.org

InterBase

InterBase has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.

Visit embarcadero.com