You will be amazed to know that around 600,000 apps built on Parse will have to move their products and services to other platforms soon. Although, the platform will operate until January 2017, but developers and businesses have to think of alternatives to get their apps up and running.
Acquired by Facebook in 2013 for $85 Million, Parse was Facebook’s one of the key developer services that has allowed developers to work on mobile applications without dealing with server and storage infrastructure of mobile apps. It was indeed a tough decision to shutter down this platform, but then Facebook didn’t find it worth its effort.
Fortunately, the best thing about technology is that if one ceases, we have hundreds of possible choices to keep it working at the same pace and even more. Here are few considerable cloud service alternatives to Parse that will help developers to easily shift their choices and move on with successful mobile app development.
Firebase
Google presents an excellent real-time solution for communication and data storage while developing mobile apps and web applications. It powers up the app’s backend including user authentication and static hosting and helps you build cross-platform native mobile apps using Android, JavaScript and iOS SDKs. Firebase allows data sync to all connected clients on real-time basis and the data is also available when the user goes offline. It provides a production-grade static asset hosting, which serves the mobile app content with a global CDN.
AWS Mobile Hub
One of the biggest benefits of choosing Amazon Web Services is the integrated console that helps developers create, build, test and monitor mobile apps. The AWS mobile hub configures different features of apps including user authentication, data storage, content delivery, push notifications and analytics from a single platform. The console takes minimum time as it is feature-oriented and thus, selects high-level features with a combination of services, client code and SDKs.
When compared with Parse, Amazon has covered lot many features that Parse provides. It also offers other than what is available in Parse. Unlike Parse, AWS provides an option of using both NoSQL and SQL relational databases.
Though Parse is a true BaaS to implement backend and database functionality, AWS is an infrastructure as a service with more flexibility and will prove to be a great selection over Parse in the future.
AWS Lambda can save developers a lot of time and money as it provides server-side app logic without any server work- you don’t want to have backend expertise in server side data processing. This mobile hub comes with a variety of other services like Cognito, Mobile Analytics, SNS and others servicing an initial free tier to test apps. Scaling up is convenient in AWS.
MongoDB/Open Source Parse Server
While each of the parse users has to migrate all their data in less than one year, Parse server can be a wise choice. Facebook itself recommends enterprises to move their Parse data to a self-hosted MongoDB and finish the setup of this self-hosted Parse by the end of July 2016. This will allow you to download the open source Node.js code and use it for your own hosted server.
Remember, this won’t support features like push notifications, analytics and parameter updates.
Batch
Batch is an easy migration from the well-known backend Parse service. The Batch team offers a simple two-step process to move over and also a smart way to integrate Batch with Firebase.
back{4}app
It is a popular backend generator for web, mobile and IoT apps. back{4}app helps developers to build and host Parse APIs and provides an option of migrating a Parse app (on its website). You do not have to rewrite your app to some other API or learn how to use another platform. Working up to 80% faster, this BaaS:
✓ Visually builds your API
✓ Engages users with push notifications
✓ Integrates with suitable SDK
✓ Adds custom code to cloud code
With these services available, you do not have to worry about the closing of Parse. There are other brilliant third-party services like Kinvey, AnyPresence, CloudBoost, CloudKit and many more to completely move your entire databases, Parse server, push notifications, cloud coding and other features to other platforms.
Finally, we have to accept that Parse will no more be available for app services now and you will have to choose the best alternative soon. Either create a self-hosted custom backend or select a third-party MBaaS- the choice is yours.
Choose Konstant Infosolutions for exceptional mobile app development services as the team has expertise in many of the mentioned BaaS. They are the pioneers in custom backend and will provide flexible and straight-forward ways to move from Parse to a competitive alternate solution.
You can inquire about Parse alternatives from our experienced team of developers in the comments section below. Join the discussion and make the best selection for your mobile app.
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Heena Banga is a Senior Content Developer at Konstant Infosolutions- a globally recognized mobile application development company. She leads marketing and growth initiatives at the company using a mix of technical and business content tactics. Heena also contributes articles to CrowdReviews, OpenSourceForU, Sociableblog, ducttapemarketing, PAYMILL blog. She hopes to enjoy a business conversation onboard a commercial space flight someday. Her ultimate goal is to combine business and writing and go into Advertising.
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