Question 1

Does ReadMeter reduce my Firestore bill?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. ReadMeter shows Firestore read activity during development so you can decide what to optimize. It does not change Firebase pricing by itself. If you run readmeter add, the installer may rewrite imports or add files so reads can be counted — you still choose what to ship.

Question 2

Are the read counts accurate?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

Does ReadMeter show my actual production costs?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

Does ReadMeter run in production?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

What exactly does ReadMeter track?

Accepted Answer

Client SDK: modular getDoc / getDocs / initial onSnapshot (and compat patches) show in the localhost widget. Admin SDK: after you wrap instrumentAdminFirestore(getFirestore()), document .get() / getAll() in that Node process are counted — on Next.js via GET /api/readmeter-admin in development. Writes and deletes are counted too, separately from reads: setDoc / addDoc / updateDoc / deleteDoc, batches and transactions in the client, set / update / delete, batches and BulkWriter in Admin. It intentionally ignores: background listener updates after idle, Firebase Console usage, Cloud Functions outside your app process, historical aggregates, and exact billing. Estimated reads ≠ your invoice.

Question 6

Why does ReadMeter show warnings like "High risk"?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

How much does ReadMeter cost?

Accepted Answer

$9 once, at the launch price (it goes up to $19 after launch). No subscription and no usage limits, and all future updates are included. One personal license works on up to 3 of your own development machines at the same time. Run readmeter deactivate on an old machine to move it. Please don't share your key: each developer needs their own license. Every purchase has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question 8

Does ReadMeter send any data anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No Firestore data ever leaves your machine. Reads are counted inside your browser (client SDK) and your local Node process (Admin SDK) and shown only there. While you develop, the widget and the Admin wrapper make no network requests of their own. ReadMeter never asks for service accounts, Firebase console access or API keys. Only the CLI talks to readmeter.dev: once at install to check your license key (with a hashed device ID), and optional anonymous usage events after readmeter add or remove, with no paths, code or Firestore data. Turn those off with READMETER_TELEMETRY=0. The readmeter.dev website itself uses standard analytics.

Question 9

What is ReadMeter and what isn't it?

Accepted Answer

ReadMeter is a development-time Firestore read speedometer for the client modular SDK (browser widget) and firebase-admin (server wrap + optional stats route). It is an early signal for screens and API routes that may scale badly. ReadMeter is not: a billing calculator; production monitoring; Firebase Console forensics; a guarantee of cost reduction; or a prediction of your real Firestore bill. The CLI can change project files when you run readmeter add — it's a sanity check for engineers, not an accounting system.

Question 10

What exactly gets counted?

Accepted Answer

Client SDK: getDoc, getDocs and the initial load of onSnapshot listeners (modular and compat). Admin SDK: .get() and getAll() once you wrap getFirestore() with one line. Each read is tagged with the route, the calling function, the collection and how many times the query ran. Writes and deletes (setDoc, addDoc, updateDoc, deleteDoc, batches, transactions) are counted too, apart from reads, because Firestore prices them differently. Later listener updates are not counted. Treat the numbers as a close estimate, not your invoice.

Question 11

Can I use it on more than one computer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. One license can be active on up to 3 of your own machines at once, for example a laptop, a desktop and a work machine. Getting a new computer? Run readmeter deactivate on the old one, then install on the new one. Lost the old machine? Email burak@pusyapi.com and I'll free the slot.

Question 12

What if it doesn't work for my project?

Accepted Answer

Email me and I'll help you get it running. If it still isn't useful, you get a full refund within 30 days of purchase, no questions asked.

Question 13

What does the installer change, and can I undo it?

Accepted Answer

readmeter add copies the widget into your project, wires it into your dev setup and points your Firestore imports at a thin wrapper so reads and writes can be counted. Preview every change first with readmeter add --dry-run, and undo them with readmeter remove. The widget only runs on localhost, so production builds are unaffected.

Question 14

Which frameworks does it work with?

Accepted Answer

Next.js (App and Pages Router), Nuxt 3, Vite apps with React, Vue or Svelte, Create React App, Angular and plain HTML sites. The widget counts reads, and the writes and deletes next to them, from the Firebase JS SDK (modular and compat). On the server, firebase-admin reads and writes are counted after a one-line wrap. The widget is available in English, German, Spanish and Turkish.

Common questions