There’s no doubt that mobile app development for your startups requires a high-quality backend development solutions. But the shortage of qualified talent, limited budget, and time constraints have tilted the narrative to Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS). Kinvey, an MBaaS platform, claims to reduce developers’ work by a whopping 86%. 

For new startups, less app development time translates to lesser cost and faster time to market. They can also use MBaaS temporarily until their app is ready for custom backend mobile app development. 

But What Is A Mobile Backend? 

A mobile app backend is the server-side part of an application that gathers, processes, secures, and retrieves data for users. While the Backends process and store data, the front end translates them into texts and visual images that a user understands. 

Although backends can be created from scratch, MBaaS provides more cost-effective options. Understandably, most apps today, including Facebook, Alibaba, and LinkedIn, host their apps using MBaaS. 

But for a new startup, the priority is selecting an appropriate MBaaS platform for mobile app development. 

What Factors Should Determine Your Selection Of The Best Mobile Backend Provider? 

Of course, it isn’t easy to get a perfect-fit mobile backend service. But that doesn’t mean you should go for your guts. From the endless options, use the following guidelines to nitpick the bad from the good. 

Security: With cyber crimes on the rise, it’s crucial to analyze what security protocols are employed by your mobile backend services. Otherwise, your app may risk data breaches along the way. 

Scalability Demands: Your backend services should be scalable. The Best services provide ample room to increase or reduce resources,  add new features and accommodate a growing user base. 

Framework And Processing Capabilities: Analyze the features provided by  mobile app backend services. This includes their database infrastructure, data processing, and storage capabilities, APIs, and data channel, amongst other things. 

Integration Capabilities: Your app becomes more valuable if it can integrate seamlessly with other apps. So, check out the ready-made integration functions provided by your backend service provider. 

Usability: Whatever your preferences are, always make sure your mobile backend end service is easy to use

Pricing: At the baseline is how much you can pay for a backend service. Analyze their prices and payment structure to determine what suits you best. 

What Are The Top 3 Mobile Backend Services?

Firebase

Firebase is an open-source mobile app backend platform founded in 2011. It started as a real-time database and integration functions for apps and websites. In 2015, Google acquired it and turned it into a fully-functional mobile app backend service. 

With a wide array of functionalities and usability, Firebase has wide acclaim amongst users. Apps like Alibaba, Halfbrick, and Instacart use Firebase. Its features include 

• Firebase Cloud Messaging: A free tool that helps send messages and push notifications.  It can work for Android, iOS, and web apps. 

• Firebase Storage: This tool helps store every user-generated content, including videos, images, text, etc. 

• Firebase Analytics: This free tool analyzes app usage, engagement and churn rates, etc. 

• Real-time Database And Sync: This tool stores and sync user data across devices in real-time.  

• Firebase Authentication: This tool enables user authentication. It supports logins through emails and social platforms 

Firebase has other functionalities, including Cloud Firestore, serverless building, integrations, Firebase hosting, and crash reporting,  amongst many others. 

Pricing

Firebase pricing structures include a Spark Plan and Blaze Plan. 

• Spark Plan: This is a freemium plan. It provides 1 GB of cloud file storage and 10GB of hosting space for free.

• Blaze Plan: It offers a pay-as-you-go pricing structure. 

It’s worth knowing that you don’t have to buy the whole Firebase feature package. Instead, you can get the features you want and low or no cost. The platform also boasts a big developer community where you can ask Firebase-related questions. 

Kinvey 

Kinvey is owned by software development company, It is a cross-platform mobile app backend service that once claimed to reduce development time by 86%. For obvious reasons, Kinvey is widely used amongst SMEs and startups. Here are the features that endear it to loyalists 

• Kinvey offers ample features, including
  • Email and SMS services 
  • GPS
  • Data Analytics
  • Push notifications 
  • Storage services etc. 

• Kinvey encrypts all user data. Thus, it’s a good option when you’re prioritizing security.

• It accelerates mobile app development time. Developers can create backends for mobile, native, and web applications in a short time 

• Kinvey offers development for Android,  iOS, and different types of programming languages. Thus, cross-functional and highly usable.  

• It offers seamless integration without the need to assemble data. 

Pricing 

Kinvey offers both free and paid plans. Its free program is enough to get a functional application for small businesses and SMEs. On the other hand, its paid plan starts at $200 per month and can reach as high as $2000. 

AWS Mobile 

Amazon Web Services isn’t exactly a mobile app backend solution. Instead, it provides an infrastructure on which developers can build their apps. Instead of delivering a backend, it gives you the required tools to make it yourself. Hence, such an app is independent of AWS. 

Its features include: 

• Amazon Analytics: This tool helps analyze app usage statistics. 

• Amazon Sync: This tool helps synchronize user data across different devices in real-time

• Amazon Pinpoint: It helps send push notifications to users 

AWS mobile is excellent in many ways. It offers independent backends, seamless integration services, and a strong community of developers. However, not all its functionalities are cross-platform. For instance, its analytic tool is only compatible with Android apps, not iOS. 

Pricing

AWS Mobile offers a fair pricing system. For each plan, you get a freemium version.

Conclusion

Of course, you might not subscribe to assigning your backend to third parties. But with the current market dynamics and cost constraints, it might be the only option available. Thus, it’s vital to pick the right platform. 

In a market where there are countless MBaaS platforms, these three Backends guarantee the best services. While relatively affordable, they provide a wide range of feature sets and support. 

It’s also essential to get the right developer. Finding quality backend talents might be tricky. But outsourcing to a mobile app development company like Emphasoft, development becomes hitch-free and fun.