Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Back4App VS Salesforce Platform

Compare Back4App VS Salesforce Platform and see what are their differences

Back4App logo Back4App

Low code backend to build apps faster and scale easily.

Salesforce Platform logo Salesforce Platform

Salesforce Platform is a comprehensive PaaS solution that paves the way for the developers to test, build, and mitigate the issues in the cloud application before the final deployment.
  • 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.

  • Salesforce Platform Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-05

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.

Salesforce Platform features and specs

  • Customization
    Salesforce Platform offers extensive customization options that allow businesses to tailor the platform to suit their specific needs. From custom objects and fields to custom workflows and processes, users have a high level of control over their environment.
  • Integration
    The platform supports integration with a wide range of third-party applications and services through APIs. This flexibility ensures that businesses can create a seamless workflow across different software systems.
  • Scalability
    Salesforce Platform is highly scalable, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. As a cloud-based solution, it can easily handle growth in terms of users, data volume, and functionality without significant downtime or degradation in performance.
  • Mobile Accessibility
    With Salesforce Mobile App, users have access to their data and applications from anywhere, enhancing productivity and ensuring that critical tasks can be completed while on the go.
  • Security
    Salesforce Platform offers robust security features, including data encryption, regular security updates, and compliance with various industry standards and regulations, providing peace of mind for businesses concerned about data protection.
  • Community and Support
    Salesforce has a vast community of users, developers, and experts, along with extensive documentation and support resources. This community can be invaluable for troubleshooting, best practices, and ongoing learning.

Possible disadvantages of Salesforce Platform

  • Cost
    Salesforce Platform can be expensive, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. The costs can quickly add up with additional features, customizations, and third-party integrations.
  • Complexity
    While the customization options are a significant benefit, they can also add complexity, especially for users without technical expertise. This can lead to a steep learning curve and may require additional training or hiring specialized personnel.
  • Performance
    While generally reliable, the platform can experience performance issues, particularly during peak usage times or with complex customizations. This can potentially affect the efficiency and response times for users.
  • Dependency on Internet
    As a cloud-based solution, Salesforce Platform requires a stable internet connection to be fully functional. This dependency can be a drawback in areas with unreliable internet service.
  • Customization Limits
    Despite its flexibility, there are still limits to what can be customized within Salesforce. In some cases, achieving certain functionalities may require complex workarounds or may not be possible at all within the provided framework.
  • Data Migration
    Migrating data to and from Salesforce can be challenging, particularly for large datasets or complex data structures. This process often requires careful planning and execution to avoid data loss or integrity issues.

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.

Salesforce Platform videos

Salesforce Platform Overview (1)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Back4App and Salesforce Platform)
Backend As A Service
28 28%
72% 72
Cloud Computing
13 13%
87% 87
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Hosting
0 0%
100% 100

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 Salesforce Platform

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.

Salesforce Platform Reviews

3 easy app makers you can start on today
Salesforce Platform: If you use the popular customer relationship management system, Salesforce’s low-code tools allow you to build custom apps that can include AI and connect with the company’s various cloud services.

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

Salesforce Platform mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Salesforce Platform yet. Tracking of Salesforce Platform recommendations started around Sep 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

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

Dokku - Docker powered mini-Heroku in around 100 lines of Bash

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.

Google Cloud Functions - A serverless platform for building event-based microservices.