Firebase Storage stopped working on the free plan? Here's why
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Source checked 4 Oct 2026 · Published 23 Oct 2026 · Last reviewed 23 Oct 2026 · By Ctrl+Z Therapy (how we test)
The short answer
Cloud Storage for Firebase, even default buckets, now requires projects to be on the pay-as-you-go Blaze pricing plan. This requirement went into effect on February 3, 2026. On the no-cost Spark plan you lose read and write access to all your Cloud Storage, including your default bucket, even if your code didn't change. Your files are not deleted: they stay in your buckets but are inaccessible until you upgrade.
What to do
- In the Firebase console, upgrade the project to the Blaze plan by linking it to a Cloud Billing account.
- Set a budget alert too, but remember that an alert is not a cap.
- Try an upload again once the project is on Blaze.
Good to know
- Firebase says: "No-cost usage is still available even on the Blaze pricing plan."
Source
Checked on 4 Oct 2026. Prices, limits and settings change, so check the source before you rely on them.