Backend as a service

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Mobile backend as a service
)

Backend as a service (BaaS), sometimes also referred to as mobile backend as a service (MBaaS),

AWS Amplify and Firebase
.

Purpose

Web and mobile apps require a similar set of features on the backend, including

frontend of an application and various cloud-based backends via a unified API and SDK.[3]

Providing a consistent way to manage backend data means that developers do not need to redevelop their own backend for each of the services that their apps need to access,[10] potentially saving both time and money.[11][12]

Although similar to other cloud-computing business models, such as serverless computing, software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS), BaaS is distinct from these other services in that it specifically addresses the cloud-computing needs of web and mobile app developers by providing a unified means of connecting their apps to cloud services.[13][14]

Features

BaaS providers offer different set of features and backend tools.[15] Some of the most common features include:

  • Database management. Most BaaS solutions provide SQL and/or NoSQL database management services for applications.[16] Developers can store their app data without deploying and managing databases themselves. BaaS usually provides client SDKs, REST and GraphQL APIs for the frontend to interact with databases.
  • File storage. BaaS providers often offer storage solutions for media files, user uploads, and other binary data. Applications can upload, download, and delete files through provided SDKs and APIs.
  • Authentication and authorization. Some BaaS offer authentication and authorization services that allow developers to easily manage app users.[16] This includes user sign-up, login, password reset, social media login integration through OAuth, user group and permission management etc.
  • Notification service. Some BaaS providers such as Firebase and AWS Amplify have notification services that can send custom emails to users and push native notifications on mobile platforms.[17][18] This is especially useful for applications that need to send messages, alerts, and reminders.
  • Cloud functions. Some BaaS allow developers to deploy and run
    backend framework.[22]
  • Usage analytics. Analytics data about application usage is often included in BaaS. This allows developers to monitor user behaviors and make decisions correspondingly in marketing strategies and performance optimizations.[23][24]
  • UI design. Some BaaS providers, such as AWS Amplify and Backendless, offer user interface designing tools that help developers design the frontend UI of web and mobile apps.[25][26] While this may be useful for small teams and individual developers, UI design assistance may not be conventional in BaaS as it goes beyond the scope of backend infrastructure.
  • Others. Different BaaS providers have their unique feature offerings. To list a few, Firebase supports pre-packaged extensions to provide features and integrations with other platforms.[27] Appwrite has avatar and localization services to manage icons and user locations.[28][29] Back4App offers autonomous AI agents to assist with DevOps.[30]

Service providers

BaaS providers have a broad focus, providing

APIs that work for app development on multiple platforms with different technology stacks, such as JavaScript (for Web apps), Flutter, Java/Kotlin (for Android apps), Swift/Objective-C (for iOS/MacOS/WatchOS/TvOS apps), .NET (for Windows
) and others. BaaS providers also come in different types, suiting developers of different needs.

Cloud-based BaaS

Most BaaS providers host backend platforms on their cloud servers.[31] They also manage the infrastructure, security, and scalability of the platforms. Developers can access the backend services via a web interface or the provided APIs.[16] Some examples of cloud-based BaaS include Firebase (hosted on Google Cloud Platform), AWS Amplify (hosted on Amazon Web Services), and Microsoft Azure Mobile Apps (hosted on Microsoft Azure).

Self-hosted BaaS

Self-hosted BaaS allow developers to host backend on their own servers, providing more flexibility and potential to customization compared to cloud-based BaaS, which often is more difficult to migrate from. However, developers are also in charge of managing the infrastructure, security, and scalability of their servers.[16][31] Some of the self-hosted BaaS are open source. Supabase, for example, features itself as "the open source Firebase alternative",[32] emphasizing its flexibility and openness as a community supported project in comparison to Firebase. While being open source and support self hosting, Supabase and some other providers such as Appwrite and Strapi also offer paid cloud-based hosting services.

Mobile BaaS

Mobile backend as a service (MBaaS) is a type of BaaS specifically for applications deployed in mobile systems. While some references use MBaaS interchangeably for BaaS, BaaS can have a wider variety of support such as for web apps and desktop apps.[33][34] Some examples of MBaaS are Backendless and Microsoft Azure Mobile Apps.

Business model

BaaS providers generate

calls per month, and pays a fee for each user or call over this limit. Alternatively, clients can pay a set fee for a package which allows for a greater number of calls or active users per month.[10] There are also flat fee plans that make the pricing more predictable. Some of the providers offer the unlimited API calls inside their free plan offerings.[35] Another business model that has been used by a lot of BaaS providers is PAYG (pay as you go),[36]
which has a flexible cost based on developers' usage of database, storage, bandwidth, function calls, user numbers etc.

See also

References

  1. ^ Monroe, Martin. "The Gospel of MBaaS (Part 1 of 2)". InfoQ. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  2. ^ Monroe, Martin. "The Gospel of MBaaS (Part 2)". InfoQ. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  3. ^ a b Lane, Kin (3 June 2012). "Rise of Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) API Stacks". API Evangelist. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  4. ^ Carney, Michael. "AnyPresence partners with Heroku to beef up its enterprise mBaaS offering". PandoDaily. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  5. ^ Williams, Alex (11 October 2012). "Kii Cloud Opens Doors For Mobile Developer Platform With 25 Million End Users". TechCrunch. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  6. ^ Tan, Aaron (30 September 2012). "FatFractal ups the ante in backend-as-a-service market". Techgoondu.com. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  7. ^ Rowinski, Dan (9 November 2011). "Mobile Backend As A Service Parse Raises $5.5 Million in Series A Funding". ReadWrite. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  8. ^ Mishra, Pankaj (7 January 2014). "MobStac Raises $2 Million In Series B To Help Brands Leverage Mobile Commerce". TechCrunch. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  9. ^ Lane, Kin. "New Features From BaaS Provider AnyPresence". API Evangelist. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Lawler, Ryan (26 March 2012). "Parse offers its mobile backend-as-a-service on a freemium model". GigaOM. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  11. ^ a b Williams, Alex (11 July 2012). "Kinvey Raises $5 Million For Mobile And Web App Backend As A Service". TechCrunch. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  12. ^ Facemire, Michael (2 September 2012). "Enterprise Mobility: How Fast Can Development Go?". Michael Facemire's Blog. Forrester.com. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  13. ^ "Understanding the Basics of Backend as a Service (BaaS)". Mobile City. Silicon India. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  14. ^ Rowinski, Dan (17 April 2012). "The Rise of Mobile Cloud Services: BaaS Startups Grow Up". ReadWrite. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  15. ^ Lane, Kin. "New Features From BaaS Provider AnyPresence". API Evangelist. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  16. ^ a b c d Zomko, Roman. "The Brief Guide to Backend as a Service (BaaS)". impressit.io. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Firebase Cloud Messaging". Firebase. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Notifications - AWS Amplify Hosting". docs.aws.amazon.com. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Cloud Functions for Firebase". Firebase. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Functions - Docs - Appwrite". Appwrite. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Edge Functions | Supabase Docs". Supabase. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  22. ^ Ail, Vijit (15 June 2022). "Using Edge Functions in Supabase: A complete guide". LogRocket Blog. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  23. ^ Rowinski, Dan (17 April 2012). "The Rise of Mobile Cloud Services: BaaS Startups Grow Up". ReadWrite. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  24. ^ "Google Analytics for Firebase". Firebase. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Full Stack Web App Editor - Extensible App Builder - AWS Amplify Studio - AWS". Amazon Web Services, Inc. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  26. ^ "UI Builder". Backendless. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Firebase Extensions". Firebase. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Avatars API Reference - Docs - Appwrite". Appwrite. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  29. ^ "Locale API Reference - Docs - Appwrite". Appwrite. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Back4App Agent". Back4App. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  31. ^ a b "How to Choose the Right Backend as a Service (BaaS) Provider for Your Project". DEV Community. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  32. ^ "Supabase | The Open Source Firebase Alternative". Supabase. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  33. ^ "What is BaaS? | Backend-as-a-Service vs. serverless". Cloudflare. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  34. ^ "What Is Mobile Backend As A Service (MBaaS)? (2022)". Backendless. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  35. ^ "MongoDB Stitch - Backend as a Service". MongoDB. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  36. ^ "Firebase Pricing". Firebase. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
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