Parse Platform vs Back4app

Parse Platform8.0Visit Back4app7.9Visit

Higher score Parse Platform #5 in Backend as a Service 8.0/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Parse Platform

vs

Back4app #6 in Backend as a Service 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Back4app

• Parse Platform fits best

  Self-hosted multi-platform backends

• Back4app fits best

  Affordable MongoDB-based application backends

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Side by side

Feature	Parse Platform 8.0/10 Visit ↗	Back4app 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.0	7.9
Ranking	#5 in Backend as a Service	#6 in Backend as a Service
Best for	Self-hosted multi-platform backends	Affordable MongoDB-based application backends
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Open source	$5/unit/mo
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Linux	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Docs	Email, Tickets, Community
Integrations	6 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Parse Platform 0/4 · Back4app 0/4
Serverless functions	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Realtime data	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
File storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Automatic APIs	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Database type	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Authentication methods	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free authentication users	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL with REST, GraphQL, and SDK APIs Offline queries, queued writes, and bidirectional synchronization Official SDKs for Android, Apple, JavaScript, and Flutter/Dart	Managed MongoDB with automatic REST and GraphQL APIs Free plan plus containers starting at $5 per month Authentication, realtime sync, storage, and scheduled jobs
Cons	Self-hosted deployment requires developer-managed infrastructure Support channels are centered on documentation No vendor-operated hosted plan is included in the offering	Container pricing is charged per container, per month Deployment regions are limited to 1 The platform spans many services, requiring architectural decisions
Our verdict	Parse Platform is an open-source application backend built around Parse Server, which runs on Node.js infrastructure managed by the developer. It is designed for teams building web, iOS, Android, and Flutter applications that need data… Read the review →	Back4app combines managed backend services with container-based deployment for teams building web and mobile applications. Its backend includes managed MongoDB hosting, automatically generated REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication with… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Parse Platform — where it wins

  • Supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL with REST, GraphQL, and SDK APIs
  • Offline queries, queued writes, and bidirectional synchronization
  • Official SDKs for Android, Apple, JavaScript, and Flutter/Dart

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires developer-managed infrastructure
  • Support channels are centered on documentation
  • No vendor-operated hosted plan is included in the offering

• Back4app — where it wins

  • Managed MongoDB with automatic REST and GraphQL APIs
  • Free plan plus containers starting at $5 per month
  • Authentication, realtime sync, storage, and scheduled jobs

  Where it doesn't

  • Container pricing is charged per container, per month
  • Deployment regions are limited to 1
  • The platform spans many services, requiring architectural decisions

• Parse Platform8.0/10 · Open source

  A flexible self-hosted backend with broad APIs, offline data, and mobile SDK coverage.

  Visit Parse PlatformFull verdict →
• Back4app7.9/10 · Free plan

  An affordable MongoDB-based backend with APIs, realtime features, and containers.

  Visit Back4appFull verdict →