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Last Updated: 08-23-2026 01:21 PM (UTC)

Parse Server

With 21,400 GitHub stars, 500+ contributors, and battle-tested since its 2016 open-source release after powering Facebook's mobile backend infrastructure, Parse Server delivers production-grade Backend-as-a-Service that eliminates months of custom API development. The platform generates REST and GraphQL endpoints automatically from your data schema with class-level permissions and object-level ACLs providing granular access control. Cloud Code enables server-side JavaScript execution for triggers (beforeSave, afterSave, beforeDelete, afterDelete), custom functions, and scheduled jobs — all deployable without restarting the server. Live Queries push realtime data changes to subscribed clients via WebSockets, powering chat applications, collaborative editors, and live dashboards. Push notification support spans APNs for iOS, FCM for Android, and web push for browsers with audience segmentation, scheduling, and delivery analytics. The Parse Dashboard provides a comprehensive admin interface with a data browser featuring configurable info panels, graph visualization, custom canvas builder with draggable elements, AI agent integration via OpenAI, data import/export, and multi-factor authentication. Database flexibility supports MongoDB 6-8 and PostgreSQL 13-18 with PostGIS for geospatial queries. Native SDKs cover JavaScript, iOS (Swift/Objective-C), Android, Flutter/Dart, .NET/Xamarin, Unity, PHP, and Arduino for IoT devices. Deploy via npm, Docker, or the official Express template with automatic schema migration. Running on a dedicated VPS on RepoCloud with guaranteed CPU, RAM, and SSD, full root SSH access, and a browser serial console. Apache 2.0 licensed.

Parse Server
Parse Server
Parse Server
Parse Server
Parse Server

Benefits

  • Complete Mobile Backend Platform
  • Unified REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication, push notifications, file storage, and Cloud Code eliminate building separate microservices for common mobile backend requirements.
  • Realtime Live Queries via WebSockets
  • Subscribed clients receive instant data change notifications through WebSocket connections, enabling chat, collaborative editing, and live dashboards without polling overhead.
  • Multi-Platform SDK Coverage
  • Native SDKs for JavaScript, iOS, Android, Flutter, .NET, Unity, PHP, and Arduino provide type-safe API access across mobile, web, desktop, gaming, and IoT platforms simultaneously.
  • Flexible Database Backend
  • Production-tested compatibility with MongoDB 6-8 and PostgreSQL 13-18 including PostGIS geospatial queries allows choosing the optimal database engine for each deployment.

Features

  • Cloud Code Runtime
  • Server-side JavaScript execution with beforeSave, afterSave, beforeDelete triggers, custom functions, webhooks, and scheduled jobs deployable without server restart.
  • Parse Dashboard
  • Standalone admin UI with data browser, graph visualization, custom canvas builder, AI agent integration, data import/export, and multi-factor authentication support.
  • Push Notifications
  • Cross-platform push delivery via APNs for iOS, FCM for Android, and web push with audience segmentation, scheduling, A/B testing, and delivery analytics.
  • GraphQL Auto-Generation
  • Automatic GraphQL schema generation from data classes with custom query and mutation definitions bindable to Cloud Code functions for complex operations.
  • Authentication System
  • Built-in user management with email verification, password reset, session tokens, and OAuth adapters for Facebook, Google, Apple, Twitter, and 20+ providers.