# Firebase realtime db blocs vs cloud variables
**URL:** https://community.thunkable.com/t/firebase-realtime-db-blocs-vs-cloud-variables/1690641
**Category:** Questions about Thunkable X
**Created:** [January 24, 2022, 8:28am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/firebase-realtime-db-blocs-vs-cloud-variables/1690641 "2022-01-24T08:28:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bibbi](https://community.thunkable.com/u/bibbi)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2022, 8:28am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/firebase-realtime-db-blocs-vs-cloud-variables/1690641/1 "2022-01-24T08:28:40Z")
Hi
a precision ! should we preferably use realtime database blocks rather than cloud variables with StP UI?
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### Author:  [@tanishq](https://community.thunkable.com/u/tanishq)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2022, 9:36am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/firebase-realtime-db-blocs-vs-cloud-variables/1690641/2 "2022-01-24T09:36:15Z")
cloud variables are easy to use and work the same as real time db do
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### Author:  [@muneer](https://community.thunkable.com/u/muneer)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/firebase-realtime-db-blocs-vs-cloud-variables/1690641/3 "2022-01-24T11:08:01Z")
If you want to use retrieve data without having to wait for the retrieval time (asynchronous) then use the blocks.
If you prefer to be sure that data has been retrieved before continuing execution of the code (synchronous) then use the cloud variables.
If in the other hand, you want to use the `Listener` feature for dynamic keys then you can only use the blocks.
So, the bottom line is what do you want to achieve would normally dictate the method to use.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.thunkable.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/firebase-realtime-db-blocs-vs-cloud-variables/1690641/4 "2022-04-24T11:08:26Z")
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