Backend as a Service Use Cases: How to Apply

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Key Takeaways

• Backend as a service provides rapid feature deployment, quicker time to release, a standardized environment, and a ready-made infrastructure.
• It has become popular due to increased demand for mobile and web apps, widespread cloud adoption for simplified backend development and scalability, and a code-first approach.
• Use BaaS to rapidly develop an MVP or POC, require streamlined functionality, aim to reduce testing and monitoring costs, or plan to operate your app across multiple locations or regions.

For over a decade, BaaS (Backend as a Service) has been quietly winning the hearts of both software developers and their clients. This is hardly surprising, given the dramatic speed boost it can deliver for the development process. But is BaaS a universal solution, or are there only specific BaaS examples where this approach works?

Acropolium is a longtime fan of serverless, and BaaS is our favorite. We’ve built social media apps, chatbots, and other software using this low-code technique. And even though we genuinely believe that most applications will never need more backend than BaaS can offer, in certain setups, it just shines.

If BaaS is one of the backend choices for your upcoming project, this article will help you make an informed decision. We’ll cover the typical reasons to opt for this serverless option and support them with several BaaS case studies.

Backend as a Service Market Overview

The global Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) market, valued at $6.8 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $31.1 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 24.3%. In comparison, the Function-as-a-Service market, valued at $17.70 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $44.71 billion by 2029.

Key market drivers include the rising demand for mobile and web development and the widespread adoption of cloud-based infrastructure, simplifying backend creation and enhancing scalability. Innovations, such as AWS Amplify’s code-first developer experience, further fuel market growth.

However, concerns over data privacy and security pose challenges as businesses worry about potential vulnerabilities in cloud-stored information.

Why Invest in BaaS

The vast majority of web and mobile apps require similar backend infrastructure and services in order to function. We’re talking about physical servers that work in the cloud — and the code to run things like databases, file storage, authentication, social media integration, and so on.

With Backend as a Service, established companies and startups outsource the most time-consuming, repeatable aspects of backend development. Backend as a service providers like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, and others are offering all-inclusive package deals. By purchasing a subscription plan, you get access to SDKs (Software Development Kits) and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to facilitate development and integrate services, respectively.

And there’s no need to worry about hardware, either — everything’s been taken care of. The setup usually takes a few clicks, and your engineers can start creating the frontend part of your software.

BaaS comes to the rescue whenever there’s a need for tight integration of data management with basic user-end functionality and robust performance out of the box. That need keeps growing, and so does the popularity of the single-tenant or multi-tenant BaaS architecture.

To sum up, here’s what you can get when using Backend as a Service:

• Real-time database management
• Cloud backup
• File storage
• Hosting
• Tools for integration with social media and other services
• Built-in security features like authentication, etc.
• ML (Machine Learning) capabilities
• Analytics and testing tools
• Compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and/or HIPAA
• SDKs to boost the development of these and other features
• APIs to make requests between programs

Backend as a Service Benefits

Integrating BaaS into your development pipeline will result in a number of advantages. A typical BaaS platform will allow your business to:

• Cover typical server-side needs. That’s what BaaS is all about — giving your project a starting point, with most bases already covered.
• Increase development speed. Building a quality backend takes time and effort, and BaaS is here to help you save both.
• Focus on the frontend. BaaS helps your developers increase their productivity when working on the product’s business logic, design, and functionality.
• Reduce time to market. With BaaS, you can deploy much faster and have your software ready for release within tight deadlines.
• Get tools for testing and analysis. Top BaaS providers supply this out of the box. Analyze the stability and performance of your product on the fly.
• Lower development and infrastructure expenses. With BaaS, there’s no need to spend a fortune on servers and their maintenance or hire an offshore development team.
• Enhance scalability. BaaS platforms are designed to easily handle growth, allowing your application to scale seamlessly as your user base expands.
• Ensure continuous updates. Benefit from regular updates and improvements from the BaaS provider, keeping your solution up-to-date without additional effort.

5 BaaS use cases to Learn from

We’ve compiled a list of 5 backend as a service examples based on information available from large web and mobile backend as a service providers, as well as on our projects. Some project and client names are disclosed, while others are protected by NDAs.

These web and mobile backend as a service use cases describe the benefits of the approach in various industries. Let’s get down to it!

App for a Luxury Clothing Brand (Neiman Marcus)

When Neiman Marcus decided to create their omnichannel digital selling app Connect, they estimated it would take four months to launch it. This was already a narrow time frame, but the Covid-19 lockdowns were pushing the brand’s sales online. The company’s associates needed a reliable tool to manage customer data to make each interaction unique.

The team at Neiman Marcus used multiple verified Amazon cloud services, such as AWS Amplify, Amazon Cognito, and AWS AppSync. The results include a 50% increase in speed to market, a 90% reduction in development costs, and improved agility and elasticity.

Scaling a Trivia Game

Two4Tea, a French mobile game developer, transitioned from Parse to Back4App’s tailored BaaS platform for their hit game Fight List. The game’s popularity was snowballing, and the company didn’t want to lose momentum due to scalability issues.

Back4App helped create the perfect backend that handled the game’s peak 600 requests per second and solved other challenges. The platform empowered Fight List with user ranking databases, push notifications for iOS and Android, and cloud code for seamless backend and third-party API integration. Today, the game has over 55 million players globally across seven languages and a peak concurrency of over 1 million players.

Self-Care Habit Tracking App (Fabulous)

Fabulous is a mobile app for iOS and Android focused on habit-building through behavioral science. It is also one of the successful mobile backend as a service examples, utilizing Google’s Firebase to improve customer onboarding and provide a personalized user experience.

Firebase’s analytics tools and flexible workflow enable quick adjustments within the app, track user journeys effectively, and streamline customer invitations via email. By integrating Firebase, Fabulous achieved remarkable outcomes: it doubled its retention rate and reduced the time required to implement custom onboarding to just one day.

Re-architecting the National Health Service

During the Covid-19 crisis, the British National Health Service (NHS) faced unprecedented online traffic surges, leading to website outages. They partnered with Microsoft Azure to overhaul their backend infrastructure with Azure App Service, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Front Door, Azure Storage, Azure Virtual Machines, and Azure Virtual Network.

Microsoft’s swift implementation of cloud-based backend services enabled stable website operations for the NHS. Benefits included efficient resource distribution, faster access times from multiple server locations, rapid feature development through replicated backend environments, and seamless functionality testing.

AWS for Netflix’s Emerging Needs

Streaming requires a scalable, dependable solution that manages unpredictable demand spikes, large data volumes, and a global user base. Netflix partners with AWS for nearly all its computing and storage requirements, encompassing databases, analytics, recommendation engines, video transcoding, and numerous other functions.

The company employs many AWS services, including Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, Amazon CloudFront, and Amazon Redshift. Thanks to these services, Netflix is a global leader in entertainment, boasting over 260 million members across 190+ countries.

BaaS vs Custom Backend

The BaaS architecture promises a ton of benefits, but should you completely rule out custom backend development? Let’s have a look at the pros of each approach.

Pros of custom backend development

Building the frontend on the Lego-like BaaS backbone is quick and convenient, but some projects are more nuanced and require special treatment. Here are a few essential reasons for creating your backend from scratch.

Flexible and highly scalable

Although BaaS solutions do a great job of managing storage and network capacity, there can be some restrictions. For instance, as your product gains popularity and attracts more customers, you may find that the prices of your vendor’s plans increase exponentially.

If you look at the pricing of Google’s Firebase, you’ll notice that fees go up after you’ve used a certain limit of CPU time, storage, and function invocations. When you own the infrastructure of your custom backend and have a dedicated team of developers, you’ll be able to manage those expenses more efficiently.

Another perk is the freedom from vendor lock-ins which may eventually limit your SaaS app development.

More custom-tailored options

It’s true that Backend-as-a-Service solutions are meant to automate repeatable tasks and free your business from hardware-related headaches. However, even the best packages can’t possibly encompass every feature you might need for a particular customer BaaS use case.

A team of backend developers, on the other hand, will be able to implement each specific requirement with fastidious care. Not only that, they can fine-tune and optimize your software to a much higher degree than standardized BaaS tools will allow.

You own the code

Written specifically for your project, the codebase remains your property — unlike with BaaS, where the provider retains the right of ownership. The ultimate difference lies in the ability to modify the app’s components further down the road. You can always modernize your code, but you won’t be able to alter proprietary BaaS modules.

One way to circumvent this restriction is to use open-source BaaS solutions.

Are you leaning towards a custom backend? Make no mistake, BaaS does have its advantages. Otherwise, why would we consistently use it in our projects?

Pros of using BaaS

When properly set up and integrated, Backend as a Service can be instrumental for a project of any scale. Here are some of its strengths.

Quick deployment of features

The fact that BaaS solutions rely on standard frameworks — packages of code that’s been tested and is ready for use — saves developers a lot of time. Even better, most of the functionality you may need is already built in. For instance, you can have your authentication procedures and push notifications ready for use almost immediately.

Less time to release

Another perk that comes from Backend as a Service technology use: you’ll release your software much sooner than if you had to develop a custom backend. Certified BaaS vendors offer packs of components that have been tested for compatibility with each other, so you’re very unlikely to run into issues there and fail the project. A very welcome speed boost in today’s competitive world.

Standardized environment & settings

BaaS service providers ensure there are no discrepancies in the codebase and that their software complies with modern standards. Like GDPR and HIPAA — data privacy and security regulations for the EU market and the US healthcare industry, respectively. Imagine the time your backend developers would have to spend to guarantee adherence to those standards.

A ready-made infrastructure to rely on

BaaS helps you fully leverage the power of cloud computing. Since buying and maintaining server hardware isn’t your concern any longer, you can kick back and put the money you save to better use. And if your business is a multinational enterprise, having server clusters in every region is great for quick data access and ERP short page load times. Large mBaaS providers will have that on offer.

Based on all the information and arguments we’ve gone over so far, we can now formulate some recommendations on using BaaS.

When to use BaaS for your project

The answer to this question isn’t as simple as it may seem. Our advice is to always discuss your web app architecture with your IT department or software partner. They should have the necessary experience to determine whether BaaS is the best option.

But let’s look at some typical scenarios and explain the advantages of using BaaS along the way.

You Need to Develop an MVP or a POC Quickly

When a Minimum Viable Product needs to be released as soon as possible, low-code and BaaS are the way to go. Utilize its building blocks to save time on backend development and get your main functions in working order. The same goes for making a Proof of Concept. There’s simply no alternative to BaaS in terms of speed.

Your App Does Not Require Complex Functionality

BaaS really packs a punch when it comes to delivering essential features for mobile and web apps. For instance, If you’re building a chat app and don’t plan to turn it into a full-fledged content platform later, BaaS will have all you need. On the contrary, if you plan to significantly alter or increase your app’s range of functions, consider custom backend development.

You Want to Save on Testing and Monitoring

Best BaaS providers offer convenient testing and debugging tools in their standard packages. You can run your app and use crash analytics or define some of your users as beta testers. That means big savings on your in-house or IT outsourcing team.

Your App Will Operate in Multiple Locations/Regions

With industry giants like Amazon, you can rest assured that your product will perform equally well across Europe and in the US. Their arrays of servers all over the world will offer secure storage and quick access to data.

Acropolium’s BaaS Expertise

For the past 10+ years, Acropolium has co-developed a robust BaaS platform, which is used in various projects. This platform combines traditional and mobile backend services, streamlining web MVP development and app prototyping.

Let’s overview our backend services examples:

Restaurant Chatbot

For our best mobile backend as a service example, the client wanted an app that would automate the entire process of making orders and payments, along with delivery. Time wasn’t our ally, as Covid infections were on the rise, and the situation in HoReCa was deteriorating quickly. We needed to create a cross-platform mobile app with a chatbot and a payment gateway fast.

Acropolium developed a solution in just three weeks using our internal BaaS system, involving only two engineers. Additional benefits included a 75% reduction in the development budget, a 60% faster time to market, and an 80% decrease in support expenses.

Another BaaS example was a platform for a private mental health center dealing with various addictions. We have developed solutions to identify illnesses, addictions, and personal mental health issues, minimizing the need for confidential offline communication and providing important advice and support.

In four months, the clinic achieved impressive results. Using BaaS, the new program has resulted in a 36% increase in new rehab patients and a 40% reduction in development costs. In addition, the app eliminated future maintenance and support expenses.

Final Thoughts

BaaS has given new impetus to backend development by making it simpler and speeding it up to a great extent. Part of the cloud universe, the BaaS-based SaaS app architecture will definitely stay relevant for a while.

As developers who really love full-cycle development, we’re excited about having a tool like BaaS in our arsenal. If you browse through our portfolio, you’ll find that we’ve built solutions for every major industry—from transportation, oil and gas, and construction to healthcare, fintech, and HoReCa.

Looking for a BaaS partner? Let’s discuss your needs and get a project estimation.

Sources of Information

• Backend as a Service Market
• BaaS Report