Firebase Analytics is a 360 digital analytics tool that tracks APP, WAP, WEB data. It is a subscription based tool that consumes cost based on the usage. 

Let discuss how to optimize Firebase analytics cost

1. Project Structure – Properly structuring  your project helps to reduce your subscription cost. 
Scenario – A digital property XYZ has WEB, PWA & APP  (Native, Hybrid) Platform.  Want to track it via Firebase analytics

Bad Practice – Creating Each Project for Each Platform

Disadvantage
– You are wasting the project 
– You need to query each property separately

Best Practice – Creating Single Project for all the platform
– You optimize the project
– Single query fetch all the project data
– Helps the track the user journey across Platform

2. Event Optimization
Scenario: XYZ has 3 screen form to register that needs to be tracked. 

Bad Practice – Building events for each touch points. Example Event Name Reg 1, Reg 2, Reg 3 

Disadvantage
– You are wasting the Event Quota (Max Event Allowed in Firebase is 500)
Best Practice – Build 1 Event and frame attributes for each touch points (Event Name – Reg Attribute 1 – Reg1,  Reg Attribute 2 – Reg2,  Reg Attribute 3 – Reg3). You are build many attributes and build awesome data structure. 

Best Practice 
– Build event scope for each event. Please remember, Firebase analytics push data to Google BigQuery which is a no SQL database. Structure the event in such way & put maximum attributes from each event
– Build 1 Event and frame attributes for each touch points (Event Name – Reg Attribute 1 – Reg1,  Reg Attribute 2 – Reg2,  Reg Attribute 3 – Reg3). You are build many attributes and build awesome data structure

Advantage
– You use 1 Event instead of 3 Events
– You optimize the Query cost 

3. Custom Definitions

Scenario: Segment data based on member type 

Bad Practice – Built Segment metrics in Events
Disadvantage
– You can't apply segment on events, if the segment itself is an event
– won't give reporting flexibility
– Increase query cost 

Best Practice – Built segments using Custom Definitions with proper scope
Advantage
– Provide report flexibility and scalability
– Optimize query cost

Image Courtesy: cloudfront.net