How to Set Up Firebase in Flutter Without NPM or Crying (For Beginners in Windows)

So I come from complete android background working with only Java, Kotlin and nowadays flutter. Setting up firebase has been a complete headache, no clearcut tutorial or explanation. I don't also want to install node js (npm) in my potato pc as I will barely to never use that ever again. So searching on my own I found the below solution step by step. Hope some beginner will be helped by that.

Answer

⚠️ This guide is for developers who want to keep their Windows clean — no side hustle with NPM, no unnecessary Node.js setup, and no extra tech they'll barely use or never touch again.

🔥 Part 1: Firebase CLI Setup (No NPM, No Node, No BS)

1. Download the Firebase CLI
   Go to: https://github.com/firebase/firebase-tools/releases
   ⚠️ Avoid firebase-tools-instant-win.exe. That version uses Firepit and will likely break stuff or throw confusing errors like FormatException or SyntaxError: Unexpected end of JSON. Go for firebase-tools-win.exe for an easy life.

2. Rename the file
   Rename your downloaded file to:

   firebase.exe

3. Move it to a folder you control
   Example path: C:\Users\<yourusername>\firebase\firebase.exe

4. Copy the path of the folder
   Example: C:\Users\<yourusername>\firebase\

5. Add it to your Windows PATH

   • Open Start Menu → search “environment variables”
   • Click Environment Variables
   • Under System Variables, select Path → click Edit
   • Click New → paste the path from step 4

6. Test if it works
   Open a new terminal window and run:

   firebase --version

   If it shows a version number, you're golden.
   If not… maybe scream into the void or talk to your favorite AI assistant.

7. (Optional reset if you've failed before)

   firebase logout

8. Now log in properly

   firebase login

9. Confirm it's working

   firebase projects:list

   You should see your Firebase projects listed here. If not, something's off.

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Part 2:🔥 Flutter + Firebase Setup (No NPM Required)

At this point, you can either:

Follow the official instructions shown in your Firebase Console (go to your project → click Add app → select Flutter → follow Step 2),
OR
Just follow these simplified, no-nonsense steps below:

1. Activate FlutterFire CLI

   dart pub global activate flutterfire_cli

   (Don’t ask why. Just trust the process.)

2. From your Flutter project root, run:

   flutterfire configure --project=<YOUR_PROJECT_ID>

   It’ll:

   • Ask what platforms you’re targeting (Android, iOS, Web, etc.)
   • Auto-generate lib/firebase_options.dart
   • Set everything up inside your Firebase Console

3. Follow what the terminal says
   It’ll walk you through the rest — way better than Google Docs, tbh.

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🗯 Final Words

📣 Dear Google,
Please write docs for actual humans, not only for engineers who graduated from Hogwarts.
We just want Firebase in our app without sacrificing our sanity. Thanks.

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✅ You're now Firebase-powered.
❌ No NPM bloat.
🧼 System stays clean.
💯 Developers stay sane.