# Parse Server

Parse Server for Node.js / Express

Repository: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/parse-server
Homepage: https://parseplatform.org
Language: JavaScript
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: parse-server, parse-platform, mongodb, postgres, graphql, baas, backend, rest-api, object-storage, nodejs, graphql-api, mbaas, relay, graphql-server, graphql-relay, file-storage, notifications, hacktoberfest
Last push: 2026-08-26T01:35:53+00:00
Link (homepage): https://parseplatform.org

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 95/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 87, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3870, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": 8, "gap_med": 0.0, "n_releases_24m": 129}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 21411, forks 4815 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:31.705039+00:00)

## What it is
Parse Server is an open-source Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) that runs on Node.js with the Express framework, providing REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication, file storage, and push notifications out of the box. It can be deployed to any infrastructure capable of running Node.js and works with MongoDB or PostgreSQL as its data store.

## Use cases
- self-host a mobile app backend
- add a REST API backend to an existing web app
- replace Firebase with an open-source BaaS
- run a GraphQL backend server on Node.js
- store and query app data with MongoDB or Postgres
- add user authentication and file uploads to an app
- send push notifications from a self-hosted backend

## When to choose
- you want a full open-source backend with auth, data, files, and notifications in one deployable server
- you need REST and GraphQL APIs generated for your data model without writing boilerplate
- you want to self-host a Firebase/Supabase-style backend on your own infrastructure
- you are migrating an existing Parse app or want Cloud Code server-side logic

## When to avoid
- you need a lightweight custom API and prefer writing your own Express/Fastify routes
- you want a fully managed hosted backend with zero server maintenance
- your project requires a database other than MongoDB or PostgreSQL
- you need heavy real-time analytics or complex SQL joins that a BaaS abstraction complicates

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: api-framework, http-server, auth, object-storage, graphql, websocket, database, alerting
- domain: backend, web-development, apis, self-hosted, mobile-development
- platform: self-hosted
- tags: baas, mbaas, parse-platform, express, mongodb, postgresql, rest-api, backend-as-a-service, push-notifications, cloud-code, nodejs, docker, web-server

## Member repositories
- parse-community/parse-server (main) score 95
- parse-community/parse-server-example (examples) score 66

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:31.705039+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:58:06.716103+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/parse-community/parse-server (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:31.705039+00:00, sha 2f6523efbdaa)
  - homepage: https://parseplatform.org (fetched 2026-08-29T07:57:15.418612+00:00, sha aab6aa263f12)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.