Alternatives to Parse Platform
Open-source, self-hostable backend framework with a database, auth, cloud functions, and r
Parse Platform ranks #8 of 10 in Backend-as-a-service, with an Alt Score of 81. It is licensed under Apache-2.0, free from Free and available on iOS, macOS, Android, Web and Linux. 11 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Parse Platform (Parse Server) is a fully open-source Node.js backend-as-a-service framework, originally built by Parse Inc. and now community-maintained, providing a database layer, user authentication, REST/GraphQL APIs, cloud functions, file storage, push notifications, and realtime updates via LiveQuery. It's used by developers who want the original Firebase-style BaaS model but fully self-hosted and free of vendor lock-in. It's the open-source engine that products like Back4app are built on, but can be run standalone on any Node.js-capable infrastructure.
Developers building mobile and web apps who want a self-hosted, open-source backend rather than a proprietary hosted BaaS, and who are willing to run and operate their own server and database.
Parse Server is a Node.js application providing data storage on your own MongoDB or PostgreSQL database, username/password and third-party (OAuth) authentication, file storage via S3, Google Cloud Storage, GridFS, or local disk, Cloud Code custom server-side functions, Live Query realtime subscriptions, and both a REST API and an auto-generated GraphQL API. Class-Level Permissions and Access Control Lists provide row- and schema-level security, and official client SDKs exist for iOS, Android, and JavaScript.
You install and run the parse-server npm package or Docker image on any infrastructure that runs Node.js, pointing it at your own MongoDB or PostgreSQL instance and supplying an application ID and master key. Client apps then read and write data through the REST API, the auto-generated GraphQL API, or a native Parse SDK, while custom business logic runs as Cloud Code inside the same server process.
Why people leave Parse Platform
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Supabase is an open-source backend-as-a-service built on PostgreSQL, providing a managed database, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, edge functions, auto-generated APIs, and vector.
Appwrite is an open-source backend-as-a-service that bundles a database, authentication, file storage, realtime, serverless functions, and messaging behind REST/GraphQL APIs and client SDKs, available.
AWS Amplify is Amazon's backend-as-a-service toolkit for web and mobile apps, providing managed authentication (Cognito), auto-generated GraphQL/REST APIs (AppSync), a database (DynamoDB), file storag.
Convex is a reactive backend-as-a-service where the database, server functions, and realtime subscriptions are written in TypeScript, giving apps live-updating queries, transactional writes, file stor.
InstantDB is an open-source backend-as-a-service focused on realtime, relational client-side queries: every query is multiplayer by default, with built-in authentication (magic codes, OAuth, guest aut.
Back4app is a backend-as-a-service platform built on top of the open-source Parse Server framework, offering a managed MongoDB (and NoSQL) database, auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs, built-in authenti.
Firebase is Google's app-development platform offering a backend-as-a-service: the Firestore and Realtime Database, Authentication, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, hosting, and client SDKs for web, iO.
Xano is a no-code/visual backend-as-a-service platform that gives teams a managed Postgres database, auto-generated and customizable REST/Swagger APIs, built-in authentication, file storage, and a vis.
PocketBase is an open-source backend-as-a-service packaged as a single Go executable, bundling an embedded SQLite database, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, and an admin dashboard.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Backend-as-a-service checklist (16 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Backend-as-a-service checklist | Parse Platform | Supabase | Appwrite | AWS Amplify | Convex | InstantDB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Managed database | ||||||
| Auth built in | ||||||
| File / object storage | ||||||
| Realtime subscriptions | ||||||
| Serverless / edge functions | ||||||
| Auto-generated APIs | ||||||
| Self-hostable | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Client SDKs | ||||||
| Row-level security | ||||||
| Vector / AI support | ||||||
| Free tier |
Every fact and feature listed for Parse Platform is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Starts at Free verified 2026-07-30
No paid tier exists for Parse Platform itself; it is free, self-hosted, open-source software.
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/LICENSE -
License Apache-2.0 verified 2026-07-30
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/LICENSE -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-30
Parse Platform is self-hosted open-source software (Apache-2.0). There is no vendor SaaS pricing; the vendor itself charges nothing (you only pay your own hosting/infra costs). Do not confuse with Bac
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/LICENSE -
Platforms iOS, macOS, Android, Web, Linux verified 2026-07-30
Same guide section (Using Parse SDKs with Parse Server) also shows Android and JavaScript (Web) SDK initialization code. Linux is confirmed via the guide's 'Deploying on AWS EC2 Ubuntu using PostgreSQ
iOS / OS X / watchOS / tvOS
https://docs.parseplatform.org/parse-server/guide/#using-parse-sdks-with-parse-server -
Status active verified 2026-07-30
Release 9.10.0 published 2026-07-13; GitHub commit history shows commits as recent as 2026-07-26, days before this research (2026-07-30). Actively maintained.
Release 9.10.0 · parse-community/parse-server
https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server/releases/tag/9.10.0 -
Managed database No verified 2026-07-30
Parse Server itself does not provide or manage a database — you must bring and operate your own MongoDB or PostgreSQL instance.
Parse Server uses MongoDB or PostgreSQL as a database.
https://docs.parseplatform.org/parse-server/guide/#database -
Auth built in Yes verified 2026-07-30
Also has built-in username/password auth via the Parse.User class (Access Control Lists section of the same guide).
Parse Server supports 3rd party authentication by using authentication adapters, to allow users to sign up and log in using 3rd party authentication providers.
https://docs.parseplatform.org/parse-server/guide/#oauth-and-3rd-party-authentication -
File / object storage Yes verified 2026-07-30
Lists GridFSBucketAdapter (MongoDB), S3Adapter (Amazon S3), GCSAdapter (Google Cloud Storage), and FSAdapter (local storage).
Parse Server allows developers to choose from several options when hosting files:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/README.md -
Realtime subscriptions Yes verified 2026-07-30
Once subscribed, the server will notify clients whenever a Parse.Object that matches the Parse.Query is created or updated, in real-time.
https://docs.parseplatform.org/parse-server/guide/#live-queries -
Serverless / edge functions Partial verified 2026-07-30
Cloud Code provides custom server-side functions, but they execute embedded inside your own Parse Server process, not as independently-scaled serverless or edge functions.
The only difference is that this code runs in your Parse Server rather than running on the user’s mobile device.
https://docs.parseplatform.org/cloudcode/guide/#what-is-cloud-code -
Auto-generated APIs Yes verified 2026-07-30
The REST API is likewise generated automatically from the app's schema/classes.
In addition to the traditional REST API, Parse Server automatically generates a GraphQL API based on your current application schema.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/README.md -
Self-hostable Yes verified 2026-07-30
Parse Server is an open source backend that can be deployed to any infrastructure that can run Node.js.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/README.md -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-30
Source is public at github.com/parse-community/parse-server, licensed Apache-2.0.
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/LICENSE -
Client SDKs Yes verified 2026-07-30
Parse provides SDKs for all the major platforms.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/README.md -
Row-level security Yes verified 2026-07-30
Combined with Class-Level Permissions (CLPs) for schema-level access control.
The idea behind an ACL is that each object has a list of users and roles along with what permissions that user or role has.
https://docs.parseplatform.org/parse-server/guide/#access-control-lists -
Free tier Yes verified 2026-07-30
Not a 'free tier' of a paid hosted product — Parse Platform is entirely free, open-source, self-hosted software with no paid vendor tier at all.
Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/alpha/LICENSE
FAQ
Yes. Convex, InstantDB and Back4app have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Supabase, Appwrite and AWS Amplify — every license claim links its source.