Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Azure Mobile Apps VS Parse

Compare Azure Mobile Apps VS Parse and see what are their differences

Azure Mobile Apps logo Azure Mobile Apps

Build engaging cross-platform and native apps for iOS, Android, Windows or Mac with Azure's Mobile App Service.

Parse logo Parse

Build applications faster with object and file storage, user authentication, push notifications, dashboard and more out of the box.
  • Azure Mobile Apps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-04
  • Parse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

Azure Mobile Apps features and specs

  • Scalability
    Azure Mobile Apps provides a scalable platform that can handle a large number of users and requests. As your app's user base grows, you can easily scale up your resources to meet demand.
  • Integration
    Azure Mobile Apps offers seamless integration with various Azure services such as Azure Functions, Azure SQL Database, and Cosmos DB, making it easier to build comprehensive solutions.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Developers can create cross-platform mobile applications using Azure Mobile Apps, supporting iOS, Android, and Windows platforms with a unified backend service.
  • Offline Sync
    Azure Mobile Apps provides offline data synchronization capabilities, allowing apps to work seamlessly even when there is no internet connectivity.
  • Security
    With features such as authentication via Azure Active Directory, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft Accounts, Azure Mobile Apps helps in securing app data and user access.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Mobile Apps

  • Complexity
    New users may find Azure Mobile Apps complex to set up and configure, especially if they are not familiar with Azure services or cloud environments.
  • Cost
    While Azure Mobile Apps offers a range of features, the cost can increase significantly depending on the app's usage and the number of integrated services.
  • Learning Curve
    The platform may have a steep learning curve for developers who are new to Azure, requiring time to understand its full capabilities and best practices.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    Although offline sync is supported, many features and services of Azure Mobile Apps depend on stable internet connectivity, which could pose challenges in remote areas.
  • Limited Native Features
    Compared to some native development environments, Azure Mobile Apps may have limitations in accessing certain native device features or achieving maximum performance.

Parse features and specs

  • Open Source
    Parse Platform is open-source, which means it is free to use and can be customized to fit the needs of your application without any licensing fees.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Parse provides a wide range of built-in features such as a robust database system, real-time notifications, user authentication, cloud functions, and file storage, reducing the amount of development work needed.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Parse supports multiple platforms including iOS, Android, JavaScript, .NET, and more, enabling easier development across different types of applications.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community around Parse with extensive documentation and numerous tutorials, which can help developers quickly resolve issues and learn best practices.
  • Unified Backend
    Parse allows developers to manage database, server code, and user authentication in one unified platform, simplifying backend management.

Possible disadvantages of Parse

  • Self-Hosting Complexity
    While Parse is open-source, it requires self-hosting, which involves managing and maintaining your own server infrastructure, adding operational complexity.
  • Performance
    Depending on your server setup and scaling needs, you might encounter performance issues, especially for high-traffic applications, requiring constant monitoring and fine-tuning.
  • Limited Scalability
    Parse might not be as scalable as other backend solutions like Firebase, particularly for apps that need to handle massive amounts of data and users.
  • Initial Setup Time
    The initial setup of a Parse server and its environment can be time-consuming and challenging, particularly for those without DevOps experience.
  • Feature Limitations
    While Parse offers a rich feature set, some advanced features available in other modern backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms may lack, necessitating custom development.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Azure Mobile Apps and Parse)
Developer Tools
22 22%
78% 78
Realtime Backend / API
32 32%
68% 68
App Development
29 29%
71% 71
Backend As A Service
14 14%
86% 86

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Azure Mobile Apps and Parse

Azure Mobile Apps Reviews

We have no reviews of Azure Mobile Apps yet.
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Parse Reviews

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
If you’re looking for a Firebase alternative that gives you full control and the freedom to tinker, Parse Platform is your jam. Again, it’s a popular open-source framework loved by developers who want to build custom backends without being tied to a specific provider.
Source: genezio.com
Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Back4App is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that uses Parse Server, the open-source version of the Parse backend. It simplifies backend development and management, providing developers with a robust platform for building modern applications.
Source: signoz.io
What is AWS Amplify? - AWS Amplify Alternatives
It is well-known for making the development process quick, easy, and simple. Using Parse, you may complete a day's worth of work in a few hours.
Source: mindmajix.com
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Community Support – If Firebase comes with the backing of Google, then Parse is also tested and trusted by Facebook. Yes, Facebook is the parent company of Parse. Therefore, it has a big community. You can find resources and solutions regarding Parse on GitHub, Stack Overflow and several other programming forums.
12 Best Open-source Database Backend Server and Google Firebase Alternatives
Parse server is an open-source database backend solution which speed up application building. It features database, user management, authentication, file upload and push notification.I used Parse for a few times, and I was satisfied with the speed and productivity it offers, especially in terms of developer tools as it comes with dozens of SDKs, libraries and sample code to...
Source: medevel.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Parse seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Azure Mobile Apps mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Azure Mobile Apps yet. Tracking of Azure Mobile Apps recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Parse mentions (21)

  • Supabase Alternatives 🔄 in 2025 😼
    Parse deserves mention primarily for its historical significance as the precursor that inspired the entire backend-as-a-service space. Founded in 2011, Parse pioneered many concepts that we now take for granted in modern BaaS platforms. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • The 2024 Web Hosting Report
    Backend as a Service (BaaS) goes back to early 2010’s with companies like Parse and Firebase. These products integrated everything a backend provides to a webapp in a single, integrated package that makes it easier to get started and enables you to offload some of the devops maintenance work to someone else. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How to set up a Parse Server backend with Typescript
    Parse Server is a great way to quickly spin up a backend for your project. Parse is a Node based utility that sits on top of ExpressJS. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Free online DB for production app
    You can try https://parseplatform.org/, it is self-hosted if you need. And also there are a number of cloud services with compatible API, like https://www.back4app.com/ It has dart-friendly generated API client, much simpler than firebase and is built on top of postgresql and mongodb. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Supabase Series B
    Not to crash the party or anything. Supabase is great and all but in terms of feature completeness and getting actual products built, it doesn't come close to Parse[0]. Same with Appwrite. Both of these are very popular but they either lack essential features or have them behind a subscription wall. For example, the OSS version of Supabase (last I checked) doesn't include the edge functions which are really... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Azure Mobile Apps and Parse, you can also consider the following products

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

MongoDB Stitch - The serverless platform from MongoDB

Oracle Mobile Hub - Oracle Cloud allows you to provide secure mobile access to all your data and applications.

Back4App - Low code backend to build apps faster and scale easily.

Apache UserGrid - Usergrid is an open-source BaaS enabling developers to rapidly build web and/or mobile applications.