Guide to Parse Server

Parse Server is an open-source backend running on Node.js and interacting with the Express web application framework. To understand what Parse Server does, you first need to understand what Backend as a Service (BaaS) is. 
\r\nBaaS is a tool that provides web and mobile developers with comprehensive means to connect an application to cloud backend storage and APIs, enabling interaction with other services. BaaS offers features such as user management, authentication, push notifications, social network integration, and analytics (which is often critical for developing successful mobile applications).

\r\nThe challenge of mobile app development is that building the backend can be very complex and time-consuming. Using BaaS reduces these issues and significantly eases the developers' work on the app itself (instead of building the backend). In other words, BaaS provides a framework for the backend. With BaaS, mobile app developers can almost entirely focus on frontend development.
\r\nImagine how much more can be accomplished if developers only have to work on one side of the equation. Every business should strive to streamline the development lifecycle in any way possible.
\r\nThat's where Parse Server comes in. Nearly every modern application (especially mobile and web apps) relies on data storage. This data resides in the backend and constantly interacts with the applications it serves. Parse Server greatly simplifies deployment and management.

Parse development began in 2011 and was accelerated by Y Combinator. In November of that year, Parse received Series A funding, and in 2013, Facebook acquired Parse for $85 million. 
\r\nSoon after, an open-source version of Parse emerged. This open-source version is called Parse Server and was released in 2016. One of the main differences between Parse and Parse Server (aside from being open source) is that Parse Server allows developers to run the service (and therefore develop) on their local machine. 
\r\nBecause Parse Server is open source, the global developer community has helped expand the framework's feature set and even made it possible to host applications locally (e.g., in your own data center or with a third-party cloud provider) or globally (via services like Back4App or Firebase). So whether you want to host a small application on your local network (or a standalone system) or a larger, highly scalable application deployed to a broad audience, Parse Server can help.
\r\nParse Server uses MongoDB or PostgreSQL for data storage, can be deployed on your own infrastructure, and allows developers to test applications locally using Node.js. Developers can even work with Parse Server on their own systems, making the software development lifecycle even more efficient. Developers can easily start Parse Server with a few quick commands:

\r\n

sh <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/parse-community/parse-server/master/bootstrap.sh)
\r\nnpm install -g mongodb-runner
\r\nmongodb-runner start
\r\nnpm start

\r\n

When Should Your Company Use Parse?

Companies offering Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) come and go. For example, Telerik was one such company offering MBaaS for mobile development. But out of the blue, Telerik decided to discontinue its MBaaS offering, leaving its customers in a bind.
\r\nThis is very common with proprietary software. That doesn't happen with open source. Although a project may be abandoned, the source code is always available, so even if Parse Server developers abandon the project, anyone can fork it to keep it alive.
\r\nThus, if your developers rely on BaaS and you are wary of depending on a closed-source version of Parse, Parse Server is the ideal choice.
\r\nBut the main reason your company should adopt Parse Server is to simplify the software development lifecycle for mobile and web applications. Since developers won't have to spend time building the backend, the process will be much more efficient.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Parse

Parse Server Is Mature

The Parse Server development team has spent considerable time creating a product that has reached a level of maturity suitable for projects of any scale. Even enterprise companies can rely on this BaaS framework. This maturity provides significant reliability, allowing you to scale applications without fear of the backend crashing.

No Need to Write APIs

With Parse Server, your developers can skip the complex backend development process and not worry about writing or rewriting APIs. 

It's Simple

With Parse Server, the learning curve for mobile and web app development is much lower. This means your developers can not only focus their efforts on the frontend but also develop and release more applications faster. An added benefit is cost savings for your company.
\r\nIt's a win-win.

Conclusion

This should be a no-brainer. If your company is planning to add mobile and/or web applications, you should seriously consider easing the burden on your developers by adopting BaaS. By freeing developers from having to build both the frontend and backend, they can work more efficiently. And who wouldn't want that?