Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Back4App VS brainCloud

Compare Back4App VS brainCloud and see what are their differences

Back4App logo Back4App

Low code backend to build apps faster and scale easily.

brainCloud logo brainCloud

brainCloud is a ready-made, cloud-based back-end in a box for the development of games, apps and...
  • Back4App Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-13

Back4App supports developers and companies to accelerate backend development, improve development productivity, reduce time to market, and scale applications without managing infrastructure.

  • brainCloud Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-03

Back4App features and specs

  • Scalability
    Back4App provides a scalable backend solution that can grow with your application's needs, effortlessly handling an increasing number of users and data.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform offers an intuitive interface and comprehensive documentation, making it easy for developers to set up and manage backend operations without deep programming knowledge.
  • Real-time Database
    Back4App supports real-time data synchronization, ensuring that data is consistently updated across all clients in real time.
  • Multiplatform Support
    It provides SDKs for multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and web, which allows developers to implement backend services across different devices seamlessly.
  • Cost-effective
    Back4App offers a range of pricing plans suitable for different project sizes, including a free tier that is beneficial for small projects and startups.
  • Open-source Core
    Built on top of the open-source Parse framework, it allows for greater customization and the benefit of community-driven development.

Possible disadvantages of Back4App

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, developers new to BaaS (Backend as a Service) platforms might face an initial learning curve.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    While Back4App offers flexibility, there is a dependency on the platform for backend management, which could pose challenges if migrating to another service in the future.
  • Limited Customization
    For highly specific or complex backend requirements, Back4App's predefined services might be limiting compared to building a custom backend from scratch.
  • Performance Overhead
    Using a BaaS can introduce performance overhead compared to a highly optimized custom backend solution tailored to the application's unique requirements.
  • Pricing at Scale
    Although the service is cost-effective for smaller projects, costs can escalate for larger applications with significant data and user management needs.

brainCloud features and specs

  • Comprehensive Backend Services
    brainCloud offers a wide range of backend services including data storage, API integration, and cloud code scripting, which can significantly reduce development time and effort for game and application developers.
  • Scalability
    The platform is built to scale, handling a large number of users and requests efficiently. This makes it suitable for both small indie projects and large-scale applications with millions of users.
  • User Management
    It provides robust user management capabilities, including authentication and user profile management, making it easier to handle user accounts and data securely.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    brainCloud supports multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and web, enabling developers to create cross-platform applications with ease.
  • Rich Analytics
    Offers detailed analytics and reporting tools to track user engagement, retention, and other key performance indicators, helping developers to optimize their applications.

Possible disadvantages of brainCloud

  • Complexity for Beginners
    The wide range of features and capabilities can be overwhelming for beginners or small teams without dedicated backend developers, requiring a learning curve to effectively leverage all its services.
  • Cost
    While it offers a free tier, the pricing can become significant as the application scales, especially for indie developers or startups with limited budgets.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Service
    Relying on a third-party service can introduce risks related to data privacy, service outages, and changes in terms of service, which can impact the application's reliability and compliance.
  • Customization Limitations
    Though powerful, some developers might find limitations in customizing certain aspects of the backend to precisely fit their unique application requirements.

Analysis of Back4App

Overall verdict

  • Back4App is generally considered a good option for developers looking for a reliable BaaS solution. It is particularly appealing for those who wish to leverage the power of Parse while enjoying added support and infrastructure management. Its ease of use, coupled with powerful APIs and flexibility, makes it suitable for both startups and more established businesses looking to develop applications swiftly.

Why this product is good

  • Back4App is a Backend as a Service (BaaS) platform that simplifies app development by handling backend tasks such as database management, server hosting, and scaling. It is built on top of the open-source framework, Parse, and provides a robust and scalable infrastructure that allows developers to deploy apps quickly without worrying about server management. Key features include real-time database, REST & GraphQL APIs, authentication, and file storage, making it a versatile choice for various app development needs.

Recommended for

    Back4App is recommended for startups, indie developers, and enterprises that require a reliable and cost-effective backend service to rapidly develop and deploy applications. It is ideal for those who prefer not to manage their own servers or infrastructure and for projects that need quick scalability and real-time data management, such as social apps, mobile applications, and IoT solutions.

Back4App videos

Serverless GraphQL #01 - Introduction to GraphQL on Parse using Back4App

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to create an App on back4app and manually add the data.

brainCloud videos

Discover Braincloud Learning

More videos:

  • Review - Braincloud - Thai teachers' testimonials

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Back4App and brainCloud)
Backend As A Service
93 93%
7% 7
Realtime Backend / API
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
76 76%
24% 24
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Back4App and brainCloud

Back4App Reviews

Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Documentation and Guides:Official Docs: Refer to the official documentation of your chosen platform. For instance, Back4App and Parse have extensive guides on migrating from Firebase.Community Forums: Engage with community forums and support channels. Platforms like Stack Overflow and GitHub Discussions can provide valuable insights and troubleshooting tips.
Source: signoz.io
What is AWS Amplify? - AWS Amplify Alternatives
Back4app is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing and high-quality free platforms for developing mobile and online apps.
Source: mindmajix.com
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Companies and development teams can definitely choose Back4App, a Firebase alternative, because it can process more than 3.5 billion requests on a monthly basis. Correspondingly, if you want Firebase-like services with massive community support, then Back4App can again satisfy you with a community of 190K+ developers from more than 100 countries worldwide.
Top 10 Netlify Alternatives
Auto-Scaling — Back4App is also a very scalable platform just like Netlify. To fulfill the scaling needs of developers, it is constructed with great scalability. Servers could be approached anytime on Back4App to extend and reduce resources.
Top 10 Node JS Hosting Companies
Easy Interface — It is quite convenient to use this Node.js hosting platform because of its simple interface. It provides a spreadsheet-like user interface when it comes to exporting or importing data. Dashboard of Back4App is also easy to handle for novices, and you can even send numerous notifications within some clicks.

brainCloud Reviews

We have no reviews of brainCloud yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Back4App seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time 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.

Back4App mentions (1)

  • Where to host a node/postgres/Redis app?
    I'm using back4app.com which is a cloud service for parse server, you can fire cloud code using node. Recently they introduce containers, but I didn't use it. Source: about 2 years ago

brainCloud mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of brainCloud yet. Tracking of brainCloud recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Back4App and brainCloud, you can also consider the following products

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

MongoDB Stitch - The serverless platform from MongoDB

Parse - Build applications faster with object and file storage, user authentication, push notifications, dashboard and more out of the box.

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

Heroku - Agile deployment platform for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala. Setup takes only minutes and deploys are instant through git. Leave tedious server maintenance to Heroku and focus on your code.

CouchBase - Document-Oriented NoSQL Database