What Is BaaS? Definition and Usage

Every software has a ‘’behind-the-scenes’’ part that enables the front end to work smoothly. This part is called the backend. Not every business has enough resources to easily  implement backend technologies. Thus many companies are looking for a solution that  could save them time and workforce resources. That’s where  Backend as a Service (BaaS) can be a way out.

The BaaS global market is growing rapidly in recent years. Its size is projected to reach USD 270360 million by 2027. Let’s dive into what this solution means and how you can use it to streamline your web or mobile app development.

What Is BaaS and Reasons to Use It?

Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) is a service model used to outsource back-end development for mobile and web applications. With an out-of-the-box backend, developers do not need to write code from scratch and focus on other tasks .

BaaS allows you to cut down time, infrastructure, and workforce costs. BaaS providers offer platforms that generate the necessary code for database management, push notifications, user authentication, and many other activities. Below are the top three reasons for leveraging a BaaS model:

• Reduce time to market. If your business doesn’t require building a custom back end from scratch, you can significantly reduce the development time, while ensuring the faster release to the market. You won’t only optimize costs but also be able to focus on polishing other features.
• Decrease the cost of development. Back-end development is one of the most time- and cost-consuming parts that require significant investments. Though BaaS vendors charge for their services, the costs are much lower than hiring a back-end development team for writing the code from scratch.
• Assign fewer backend developers to a project. By choosing the BaaS model, you can rebalance your development team efforts and release their time for other projects or tasks.

BaaS vs. Custom Back-End

Building software with the help of a  BaaS platform is fast and convenient, however, some software solutions require a customized approach and backend development from scratch. Below we’ll compare custom backend development and the use of out-of-the box BaaS solutions.

Scalability

When you create some software, you should be aware that it will require enhancements in a matter of years due to constant market changes and customer feedback. may grow as much as possible. The cloud-based nature of BaaS solutions allows scaling up and down, but the features are standard enough and might not be enough to satisfy your customer demands. So, custom backend development is a more flexible option when it comes to adding new unique features that meet your specific business needs.

Development Costs

As far as the development costs are concerned, BaaS solutions are cheaper due to reduced infrastructure investment as businesses don’t need to spend money on server maintenance. The BaaS model also offers significant savings in development resources and time. With the ready-to-use backend platform, there’s no need to hire a team of back-end developers who spend long hours on code writing. But if scalability matters more than reducing costs, custom backend development would serve better.

Time to Market

Standard BaaS solutions have in-built functionality, which saves developers time on coding while reducing the time to market. This back-end functionality is tested and run on different platforms and is ready to use with minimal changes. On the other hand,  custom backend development takes longer time to create but is highly scalable and flexible.

When to Use Back-End as a Service?

You Need to Launch the Minimal Viable Product

Businesses build MVPs when they need to release a product as soon as possible with minimal development costs. The MVP allows you to test the product idea  and get feedback from real users before the full functional product is released. Backend as a service is a great choice for MVP creation. With BaaS, you will launch the product faster at lower costs and identify its prospects as soon as possible.

You Plan to Build Applications with Simple Functionality

BaaS vendors offer solutions with pre-built features that fit the needs of most apps having a standardized architecture. If you aren’t going to scale the app or at least scale it rapidly, then BaaS is a good choice.

You Want to Cut Down Testing and Maintenance Costs

Most standard BaaS platforms offer testing tools for debugging your future app. By automating this process, you can significantly reduce costs on QA testing. Moreover, you don’t need to maintain in-house servers, which also minimizes  your project costs.

Conclusion

Backend as a Service is a ready-to- use out-of-the-box solution that is a good choice for  those companies that want to save time and efforts required for backend development. It’s great enough to boost app development, but this model offers average functionality.

If you want to create a more customized solution, opt for custom backend development from an experienced technology partner. There is a wide variety of vendors like software development company Scand that offer custom backend development services. By following this approach you’ll get the backend adjusted to your needs.