Parse Server

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

Databases / Data · Apache-2.0 · 21.4k

Reviewed 2026-10-19 · last push 2026-10-19 · repo checked 2026-10-19

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.

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