I chose React for the frontend of my app because of the way React.js can dynamically render webpages. And then for my database, I chose Firebase over MongoDB because even though MongoDB is more robust and feature rich, it comes with uneeded complexity. And since VIMs is a smaller scale project it did not need the benefits of MongoDB and could do just as well with Firebase.

Additionally, Firebase came with other utility services I would have had to implement myself if I had used MongoDB. Features like authentication, analytics, and easy integration with backend cloud functions all come with Firebase and lent themselves to more meaningful developer time.