# Parse Server

> Apache-2.0 self-hosted backend on Node.js with MongoDB or Postgres

**Category:** Databases  
**Pricing:** open-source  
**URL:** https://parseplatform.org  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server  
**Added:** 2026-10-19

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## The Hook

Parse Server is the open-source backend that outlived Facebook's hosted Parse: data storage with a REST and GraphQL API, users and auth, files, push notifications, cloud functions and live queries, running on any Node.js host or mounted inside an existing Express app.

## What's Good

Apache-2.0 (parse-community/parse-server), release 8.6.110 (2026-10-19). Works with MongoDB 7/8 or PostgreSQL 16–18 (with PostGIS), tested on Node.js 20, 22 and 24. Client SDKs cover JavaScript, iOS, Android, Flutter, .NET, PHP and more, and Parse Dashboard gives a data browser. Clear long-term-support policy for the previous major version, a Docker image, and a large, stable community after a decade of use. ★~21k.

## The Catch

It is a mature, opinionated object model rather than plain SQL, so it feels dated next to Supabase or PocketBase, and complex relational queries can fight the abstraction. You operate the database, scaling and backups yourself. Releases are frequent, so pin versions and read the changelog before major upgrades.

## Verdict

A proven, fully self-hosted backend-as-a-service — best when you want the Parse SDKs and model.