Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Kinto VS Parse

Compare Kinto VS Parse and see what are their differences

Kinto logo Kinto

Lightweight Parse replacement (JSON store, sync & share)

Parse logo Parse

Build applications faster with object and file storage, user authentication, push notifications, dashboard and more out of the box.
  • Kinto Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-06
  • Parse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

Kinto features and specs

  • Flexible Data Store
    Kinto provides a flexible REST-based data store that can be used to store and sync JSON documents. This makes it ideal for applications that need to manage dynamic content or settings.
  • Offline Support
    Kinto offers robust offline support, allowing clients to work with data even when there is no network connection. Changes are synced once connectivity is restored.
  • Real-time Sync
    Kinto supports real-time data synchronization across multiple devices or clients, providing consistency and up-to-date data wherever it's accessed.
  • Extensibility
    The architecture of Kinto is extensible, letting developers customize its functionality through plugins to meet specific application needs.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Kinto allows developers to freely inspect, modify, and enhance the codebase to better fit their requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Kinto

  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to large-scale projects and frameworks, Kinto has a smaller community, which can result in fewer resources, third-party tools, and community-driven help.
  • Complexity in Setup
    Setting up and configuring Kinto can be complex, especially for developers not familiar with its architecture or new to the ecosystem.
  • Scaling Concerns
    Kinto might face challenges related to high scalability demands, requiring additional infrastructure or customization to handle large-scale deployments efficiently.
  • Evolving Documentation
    The documentation may lag behind the latest features or changes, potentially making it difficult for developers to implement or keep up with the best practices.
  • Sync Conflicts
    While Kinto handles syncing well, applications might need to implement additional logic to handle complex conflict resolution or to merge data changes.

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.

Analysis of Parse

Overall verdict

  • Parse is a good choice for developers looking for a flexible and scalable backend solution that can be deployed on their own servers or using cloud services. It is particularly beneficial due to its active community and extensive documentation.

Why this product is good

  • Parse is a popular open-source backend-as-a-service framework that simplifies app development by handling server-side components, freeing developers to focus on front-end development. It offers features like push notifications, cloud functions, social media integration, and a real-time database.

Recommended for

  • Developers who want an open-source solution with the freedom to self-host.
  • Teams building mobile or web applications that require a robust backend service.
  • Projects that need strong support for relational data and real-time functionalities.
  • Developers looking to avoid the overhead of writing custom backend code.

Kinto videos

Kinto 500ml Travel Tumbler Review

More videos:

  • Review - The Kinto Travel Tumbler
  • Review - Uber & Lyft rental car program | Kinto share car rental review

Parse videos

No Parse videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Kinto and Parse)
Developer Tools
11 11%
89% 89
App Development
13 13%
87% 87
Realtime Backend / API
Backend As A Service
18 18%
82% 82

User comments

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Reviews

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

Kinto Reviews

We have no reviews of Kinto 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.

Kinto mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Kinto yet. Tracking of Kinto 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 / 3 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 / over 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: almost 3 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 / almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Kinto and Parse, you can also consider the following products

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

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

CouchBase - Document-Oriented NoSQL Database

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

Parse-Server - parse-server. Parse-compatible API server module for Node/Express. JS, 14271, 3819. parse-server-conformance-tests. Conformance tests for parse-server adapters.

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