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Sometimes when building the backend for your application may need a long time to develop, we need to understand and must have deep skills in developing API.
Rather than use a custom backend, we can use a Service for our backend. This will help you move faster and also low cost for the first release.
So what feature can we use in any Backend As Service Product (BaaS)?
Usually, BaaS products will include some features including:
Database
Realtime
Storage
Functions
SDK, API, and Access
Analytics
Above is essential features that every Backend will be included, of course, some of the backend services provide more service and add some feature to help. This feature will be enough for developing simple applications that do not require advanced features. Also, some BaaS can be extended with your own code.
So here’s my recommendation for a Backend As Service product that will help you move faster.
Firebase
Firebase is one of the most powerful Backend As A Service that I have used. They provide you with most of the feature services to build your application faster. In my experience working with firebase is awesome. Everything you need is in the cloud. This means you don’t need to set up your server.
Also, they offer you a free version that may be enough for development and beta testing apps. if you need more resources you can upgrade automatically and pay as you go. Pricing is very flexible. but in my opinion, will be expensive when the app becomes a success.
Firebase is easy to integrate and connect from your platform. They provide everything via SDK (Flutter, IOS, Android, Web) and API if you need a more advanced use case.
That’s cool, firebase offers more than what you need also there is some feature that really helps you make your backend become like a pro.
If you want to build an application fast, and can develop an application for testing and release applications after your idea is Validated, Firebase is my recommendation
Supabase
Supabase is another part of the backend that aimed the alternative for Firebase itself. The difference is that Supabase is open source and the product they build is on top of an Open Source project. Supabase also allows you self host your backend. Pretty cool right?
The main feature of this backend is built on top of open-source projects, which means that the stack behind is not vendor lock. It allows you to control and customize more if you want.
Supabase also provides you with a free version so you can try the feature and how it works. In my opinion, Supabase introduces a great feature, but when you try to self-hosted the back, especially using docker, they are just so frustrated. it contains so many containers.
To make a simple application, this is my choice.
AWS Amplify
If you’re familiar with using AWS Service, This Backend may be suited to you. Like another backend AWS Amplify is amazing, and also can be more advance when integrate with another AWS Service.
AWS Amplify also offers a free version, so you’re will be easy to try and test your application.
NHost
Nhost is similar to other ones but this main feature is integrated with GraphQL API and Asura which will automatically create an API from your database into the Graph Query, they also provide the same solutions.
Anyway, the NHost is Open Source so the quality of the product and service is maintained by the community
AppWrite
After all of the backend services are built on the cloud, Finally I will introduce the Self Hosted backend. Appwrite is built complete with many features by the community that include an essential feature. Appwrite is written using Typescript and Using Open Source stacks.
By using AppWrite, you can build your backend for more than one app in a single platform. Because this is very similar to the firebase allows you to create a multi-app in the backend.
To run AppWrite is also easy, you can run it in your docker, Windows, Linux, and any other platform. But in my opinion, running using a Docker container is the best way to set up your backend.
To connect your application to the backend. AppWrite provides you the SDK that can you access from many stacks including flutter, swift, java, javascript, and many others. If you don’t find one, you can use the REST API connection.
PocketBase
New brand Backend that you can try. This backend is built on top of Go as a powerful support and uses SQLite. Yes, SQLite, This approach is very out of the box. They run the SQLite in WAL Mode, so the database can run at a very high speed.
The pocket base can be run on your machine and also support another platform including docker. Unlike AppWrite which can be used for many application backends. Pocketbase is built for simple use cases for single Applications. This means you need to run another pocket base for another application.
To connect with the backend Pocketbase provides you with SDK that can be accessed from many platforms. Also, if don’t find one you can use the REST API.
For simplicity and performance, I will choose this backend.
Conclusion
Ok, now you know which one is your favorite. Every BaaS has their advantages, and also their cons. Choose your backend it depends on your requirements. So if you can try them one by one, you will know more about the backend and features.