Introduction
Backend as a Service (BaaS) has made it easy for developers to incorporate backend activities and functionalities into their applications without developing from scratch. This has helped save time, cost, and effort in development.
With BaaS, developers can easily connect the front end of their application to the Backend without writing codes. All they need to do is integrate any BaaS of their choice into the application. These services are not meant only for front-end developers. Likewise, back-end developers can utilize them so they don’t have to build their features from scratch. Sounds cool, right?
In this article, you will learn :
What is BaaS?
Features of BaaS
Examples of BaaS Providers
Benefits of BaaS
What is Backend as a Service?
Before diving into BaaS properly, use this example to simulate your mind to get an idea.
Think of BaaS as a chef cooking with a gas. In this scenario, the chef will utilize cooking ingredients, such as a pot, kitchen utensils, water, gas, and other essential ingredients. Imagine the gas as the Backend that helps the chef prepare the food.
Here is the idea: the chef(developer) prepares the food with the necessary ingredients to ensure it comes out well(front end), while the gas(back end) handles and ensures the food is cooked properly.
Source: Backend as a Service
BaaS is a cloud computing model that allows developers to outsource their applications’ backend functionality and infrastructure to a cloud provider.
BaaS providers offer various services that help streamline development, including databases, user authentication, file storage, push notifications, and more.
Using BaaS helps save time, as developers do not have to think about configuring and maintaining their servers and backend infrastructure. This results in faster development cycles.
Features of BaaS
BaaS takes care of the background work, i.e., it works behind the scenes. It handles the server-side functionality allowing developers to focus more on the client side( front end)
While BaaS is not only used by front-end developers, backend developers can also integrate these services, which helps them focus on the business logic. In essence, the BaaS handles the main backend functionalities, and the backend developer determines how those tools are used to implement specific rules and processes.
Here are the features:
Cloud-based development: With BaaS, developers do not need to set up and manage servers. Baas service providers offer their services on the cloud, saving time and resources for maintenance.
Prebuilt Functionality: Baas has prebuilt functionalities that help developers handle backend tasks. Some of the tasks they perform include:
Database Management: Store and manage your application data using databases provided by BaaS.
File Storage: Stores and manages uploaded files, media, documents, etc.
Push notification: Send real-time updates to your app users
User Authentication: Authenticates users to log in to your application
Other functionalities include social media integration, email verification, analysis and tracking, and more.
APIs and SDKs Management: APIs are Application programming interfaces, while SDKs are Software Development Kits. BaaS providers offer prebuilt APIs that handle user authentication and other functionalities. They also offer SDKs to enable developers to integrate backend functionality into their applications.
Security: Security features offered by BaaS providers include data encryption, access control, and authentication systems.
Examples of BaaS Providers
Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase. It was founded in 2020. Since its inception, it has over 450,000 registered developers and has received over $116 million in funding from investors. Several companies, such as YCombinator and Mozilla back Supabase.
With Supabase, developers handle a lot of backend functionalities. The features are listed as follows:
Authentication: Supabase allows developers to integrate authentication and user authorization using client SDKs and APIs. It provides various authentication methods, including passwords, magic links, one-time passwords(OTPs), social login, and single sign-on(SSO). These methods use third-party libraries like Apple, Github, Twilio, Vonage, etc. Supabase uses JSON Web Tokens(JWTs) for authentication.
Storage: Developers can use Superbase to store and upload different types of files, including images, videos, documents, etc
Database: Supabaase provides a Postgres database, which is free and open-source. Developers have access to different features such as table view, displaying relationships within data, duplication of tables, an SQL editor, real-time server, database backups e.t.c
Edge functions: Superbase provides developers with server-side Typescript functions. These functions handle tasks that help improve an application's overall performance. These tasks include image resizing or basic data filtering, reducing the workload on the main server. Examples of edge functions are Flutter with Stripe, GitHub Actions, rate limiting, Monitoring with Sentry, etc.
Vector: Supabase provides developers with an open-source toolkit for developing AI applications using Postgres and pgvector. The toolkit consists of a vector store, Python client, database migration, embedding generation, and integrations with AI providers such as OpenAI. It also provides different search features that developers can integrate into their applications. These features include Semantic search, keyword search, and Hybrid search.
See link to learn more about the vector feature of Supabase.
Realtime: Supabase allows the sending and receiving of messages using real-time APIs
Firebase is a cloud service backed by Google. This BaaS helps developers build and distribute mobile applications(Android, iOS) and websites. It offers many features that developers can integrate into their applications. Firebase was founded in 2011. Over the years, this service has evolved with significant features that have helped streamline the development process for developers.
Also, Firebase is used by large development teams, with popular companies not being excluded. These companies use this service to ship and distribute their application, e.g., Duolingo, Gameloft, Wattpad, Trivago, and lots more. Firebase has a lot of features, some are listed below:
Cloud Messaging: The cloud messaging feature allows developers to send and receive notifications without payment. It can be integrated into iOS, Android, and the Web.
Cloud Storage: The cloud storage feature provides developers with the Firebase SDK, which allows them to store and upload images, audio, video, and more. A significant feature of cloud storage is its ability to handle poor network quality.
Hosting: With Firebase hosting, developers can view, test, deploy, and preview websites locally. It also provides secure content delivery using the Zero-configuration secure sockets layer (SSL).
Authentication: Firebase authentication supports the use of passwords, phone numbers, and identity providers like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and more to authenticate users. It leverages industry standards like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID.
Cloud Firestore: Cloud Firestore is a flexible and scalable mobile, web, and server development database from Firebase and Google Cloud. Its features help developers keep data in sync across client applications through real-time listeners. Its capabilities include flexibility, sharing real-time updates, offline support, expressive querying, and scalability.
Other features include in-app messaging, crashlytics, analytics, performance monitoring, Google Ads, App indexing, and more.
Appwrite is an open-source platform for building applications, founded in 2019. With Appwrite, you can build your entire Backend without much stress. It is self-hosted BaaS and works with various operating systems, programming languages, and frameworks.
Appwrite provides developers with tools, including APIs, SDKs, databases, etc., which help them build applications much faster. Some of the features are listed below:.
Authentication: Appwrite provides various authentication methods such as email and password, phone, magic URL, email OTP, Open Authentication 2 (OAuth 2), guest sessions, JWT, server-side rendering(SSR), custom token, and multifactor authentication(MFA). It also provides built-in features for account settings, such as themes and other user preferences.
Database: Appwrite allows developers to store files like images, PDFs, and videos using the Appwrite storage. Developers can help organize data into databases, collections, and documents. It also supports data modeling.
Messaging: This feature helps in communication through push notifications, emails, and SMS text.
Functions: With Appwrite, developers can easily write functions, big or small. These programs are in the form of code snippets.
Storage: Appwrite allows developers to manage files in their projects.
Realtime: Appwrite responds to servers in real-time.
AWS is an Amazon platform that helps developers develop full-stack applications. With AWS, you can connect your application in minutes and have a fully functional app. AWS provides tools like Amplify libraries, Amplify hosting, Amplify Studio, Amplify UI components, and the Amplify CLI toolchain.
One significant feature of this BaaS is its integration with various programming languages and frameworks. With AWS, you can build single-page web apps and static websites, Native mobile applications, cross-platform applications, and lots more. Some of the features of AWS Amplify are listed:
Database: AWS provides developers with tools to connect applications to various AWS databases, such as DynamoDB (NoSQL) and Amazon Aurora. You can define data models using GraphQL or Amplify Studio's visual interface, allowing easy data access and manipulation.
Analytics: AWS provides various analytic services, such as Amazon Athena, Amazon Kinesis, Amazon FinSpace, Kafka, and more, for analyzing user and organizational data.
Storage: AWS provides developers with secure, reliable, and scalable cloud storage for protecting data. These services include Amazon File Cache, Amazon Simple Storage Service(S3), Amazon Elastic File System(EFS), and more.
Other features of AWS include Networking and Content delivery, end-user computing, media services, Artificial intelligence, cloud financial management, and more.
Here is an additional list of BaaS you can use as a developer
Benefits of Using BaaS
The benefits of using BaaS are evident. Firstly, it reduces development time. Integrating BaaS will speed up the work process as developers won’t bother building the application's backend; rather, they will focus on the front end and connect the backend to the application.
Another benefit is it saves the cost of maintaining the server. BaaS provider does the maintenance for developers.
Furthermore, BaaS is scalable, i.e., it can accommodate many users in your application's user base.
Most importantly, it helps developers focus on the application's client-side (front end) to create a great user experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Backend as a Service (BaaS) is a valuable tool for developers. Here is what we covered:
What is BaaS
Features of BaaS
Examples of BaaS
Benefits of BaaS
Whether you're a front-end or back-end developer, BaaS services can help you develop your projects effectively.