ReadMeter

See your Firestore reads before your bill explodes.

ReadMeter shows how many Firestore reads your pages trigger during development — so you can spot risky patterns early, before traffic arrives.

One command, press Enter when asked — no account or payment. You'll see reads in the corner while you build.

Firestore bills don't grow gradually. They jump.

Firestore charges per document read, not per query.

That means a page that looks harmless in development can become expensive once real users start loading it.

Most developers don't see this coming, because development environments hide scale and repetition.

ReadMeter exists to make those patterns visible early.

What ReadMeter shows you

  • Firestore document reads triggered when a page loads (development only)
  • Queries that run more often than you expect
  • Clear warnings when a page may scale poorly with traffic

All visible directly on the page while you're building.

No dashboards.
No Firebase console.
No production setup.

How it works

  1. Install ReadMeter as a dev dependency
  2. Import it once in your app
  3. Run your app locally
  4. See Firestore read activity directly on the page

ReadMeter runs only in development and never observes real production users.

A moment ReadMeter is designed to create

You think:
"This page works fine."

ReadMeter shows:

Firestore Reads

This page: 312

High risk

Expanded view:

Worst offender:

loadUsers() → 190 reads

Executed 6 times

This may scale badly with traffic.

You notice it early — while it's still easy to fix.

Why Firestore bills "suddenly" explode

  • Firestore bills per document read, not per query
  • Queries often run multiple times due to renders and state changes
  • Real-time listeners load all matching documents upfront
  • Development environments hide traffic multiplication

ReadMeter highlights these patterns during development, when they are easiest to reason about.

What ReadMeter is (and isn't)

ReadMeter is:

  • a development-time visibility tool for Firestore read patterns
  • an early signal for potential scaling risks
  • opinionated, simple, and focused

ReadMeter is not:

  • a billing calculator
  • production monitoring
  • a guarantee of cost reduction
  • an exact prediction of your Firestore bill

It's a sanity check — not an accounting system.

Pricing

$5— one-time purchase
  • No subscription
  • Use on unlimited projects
  • Free updates

If it helps you notice one risky pattern early, it has likely paid for itself.

Want to try first? Run the install and press Enter at the license prompt.

Get started

Open your terminal in your app folder, paste the command below, and press Enter when asked. We'll add the widget for you. Then run your app and you'll see the read counter.

curl -fsSL https://read-meter.vercel.app/install | bash

When it asks for a key, press Enter to try free. When it asks "Add to this folder?", press Enter — that's it.

Frequently asked questions

What is ReadMeter?
ReadMeter is a development-time tool that shows how many Firestore document reads your pages trigger while you are building your app. It helps you see read-heavy patterns early, before traffic and real users arrive.
Does ReadMeter reduce my Firestore bill?
No. ReadMeter does not change your code, your queries, or your billing. It only shows Firestore read activity during development so you can decide what, if anything, you want to improve.
Are the read counts accurate?
They are directional, not exact. ReadMeter counts Firestore document reads during local development sessions. Caching behavior, traffic patterns, and production environments can all affect real-world usage and billing.
Does ReadMeter show my actual production costs?
No. ReadMeter runs only in development and never observes real users. It cannot see or predict your production Firestore bill. For actual costs, use Firebase's official billing tools.
Does ReadMeter run in production?
No. ReadMeter is designed to run only in development. It does not collect production data, does not monitor live traffic, and has no effect on deployed applications. If it appears in production, that is a bug.
What exactly does ReadMeter track?
ReadMeter tracks Firestore document reads triggered when a page loads during development. This includes: single document fetches, list or query fetches, and the initial load of real-time listeners. It intentionally ignores: writes and deletes, background updates after page load, historical or aggregated data, and exact billing calculations.
What is a "page load" in ReadMeter?
A page load means: navigating to a new route, or refreshing the page. ReadMeter tracks Firestore reads until the page becomes idle. This provides a simple view of the cost impact of one page visit.
Why does ReadMeter show warnings like "High risk"?
Warnings are based on opinionated thresholds. They indicate patterns that may scale poorly with traffic, such as high read counts, repeated queries, or queries in loops. They are signals, not guarantees.
Can I rely on ReadMeter for financial planning?
No. ReadMeter is a developer sanity check, not a financial or billing tool. It is not intended for forecasting or accounting decisions.
What if my Firestore bill is still high after using ReadMeter?
ReadMeter highlights common development-time patterns that often contribute to high read usage. It cannot account for all production factors, including real user behavior, traffic spikes, or long-term data growth.
How much does ReadMeter cost?
ReadMeter costs $5 as a one-time purchase. There is: no subscription, no usage limit, and free updates. The license is valid for development use only.
Does ReadMeter send any data anywhere?
No. ReadMeter runs locally during development. No data leaves your machine. There are no servers, dashboards, or analytics.

Notice problems early — not after traffic arrives.

One-time purchase · Dev-only · No Firebase access