Backend

Backend tools are for standing up a backend without managing servers — the kind of work every indie hacker eventually hits and would rather not build from scratch. 7 tools are listed here, each picked and written up individually rather than pulled from an affiliate feed. Appwrite is usually the first one people try: an open-source, self-hostable Firebase alternative — the same auth, database, and storage bundle, minus getting locked into Google's cloud. AWS Amplify takes a different angle — full-stack AWS wiring — Cognito auth, AppSync APIs, S3 storage — behind one CLI, for teams who want BaaS convenience without leaving AWS. And Convex is worth a look too: your database and server functions live in one reactive TypeScript codebase, so every client just stays in sync without you writing the plumbing. Every listing below includes the actual tradeoff, not marketing copy, so you can pick based on what you're building instead of what ranks highest in a sponsored roundup elsewhere.