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Head-to-head · Backend as a Service

Parse Platform vs Nhost

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Parse Platform #5 in Backend as a Service 8.0/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Parse Platform
Nhost #7 in Backend as a Service 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Nhost

Parse Platform leads on 0 checks, Nhost on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreParse Platform · 8.0/10
  • Free planonly Nhost
  • Most featuresNhost · 4 of 4

Parse Platform scores higher on our rubric for backend as a service: 8.0 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

Parse Platform is the better fit for self-hosted multi-platform backends. Nhost is the better fit for graphQL-first Postgres applications.

  • Parse Platform fits best

    Self-hosted multi-platform backends

  • Nhost fits best

    GraphQL-first Postgres applications

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Side by side

Feature Parse Platform 8.0/10 Visit ↗ Nhost 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.0 7.8
Ranking #5 in Backend as a Service #7 in Backend as a Service
Best for Self-hosted multi-platform backends GraphQL-first Postgres applications
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Open source $25/mo
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, iOS, Android, Linux Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Docs Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Parse Platform 0/4 · Nhost 4/4
Serverless functions Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Realtime data Not checked yet ✓ (best)
File storage Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Automatic APIs Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Database type Not checked yet Relational
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
  • Generated GraphQL queries, mutations, and realtime subscriptions
  • Authentication includes MFA, WebAuthn, OAuth, and magic links
  • Local Docker development, Git deployments, storage, and functions
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires developer-managed infrastructure
  • Support channels are centered on documentation
  • No vendor-operated hosted plan is included in the offering
  • Team pricing rises to $599 per month
  • Dedicated clusters are an Enterprise add-on
  • GraphQL is central to the platform's API approach
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 →

Nhost is a managed backend platform for developers building web and mobile applications around PostgreSQL and GraphQL. Each project gets a dedicated PostgreSQL database, with automatically generated queries, mutations, and realtime…

Read the review →
  1. Parse PlatformBackend as a Service 8.0Open source
  2. NhostBackend as a Service 7.8Free plan

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

  • Nhost — where it wins

    • Generated GraphQL queries, mutations, and realtime subscriptions
    • Authentication includes MFA, WebAuthn, OAuth, and magic links
    • Local Docker development, Git deployments, storage, and functions

    Where it doesn't

    • Team pricing rises to $599 per month
    • Dedicated clusters are an Enterprise add-on
    • GraphQL is central to the platform's API approach

More comparisons

All backend as a service comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update