Parse, Kinvey and Realm Sync Are Gone: Where to Run Your App Backend in 2026
Key takeaways
- Parse was retired on January 28, 2017. Its open-source successor, Parse Server, is still maintained: version 9.10.5 shipped on October 16, 2026.
- Progress bought Kinvey in 2017 and retired Telerik Platform on May 10, 2018. As of October 17, 2026, kinvey.com has no website and progress.com/kinvey ends in a 404.
- MongoDB removed Atlas Device Sync and the Realm-based Device SDKs on September 30, 2025. The on-device database lives on as open source, without sync.
- For a new app in 2026, the realistic choices are Firebase, Supabase, Parse Server (self-hosted or on Back4App), Appwrite and PocketBase.
- Pick the one you could leave. An open-source backend you can self-host protects you from the next shutdown.
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If your app was built on Parse, Kinvey, Telerik Platform or Realm Sync, that backend is gone, and links to the old docs now lead nowhere. In 2026, the realistic homes for a mobile app backend are Firebase, Supabase, Parse Server (self-hosted or hosted on Back4App), Appwrite and PocketBase. The safest choice is the one you could leave, because every service on the list below was once someone's safe choice.
This guide replaces the migration posts and vendor pages that used to answer "where do I go after Parse?" Every date below comes from the vendor's own announcement, and every price was checked on the vendor's pricing page on October 17, 2026.
What shut down, and when
| Service | What happened | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parse (Facebook) | Hosted service retired after a one-year wind-down. Parse Server and a database migration tool were released as open source. | Announced January 28, 2016. Retired January 28, 2017 | Parse blog, "Moving On" |
| Kinvey (Progress) | Bought by Progress. Today kinvey.com has no website address in DNS, and progress.com/kinvey redirects to a community page that returns a 404 | Acquisition announced June 28, 2017. Links checked October 17, 2026 | Progress |
| Telerik Platform and AppBuilder (Progress) | Retired, with a notice telling users how to recover their apps and data | May 10, 2018 | Progress notice on npm |
| Atlas Device Sync and Realm-based Device SDKs (MongoDB) | Deprecated, then removed. The on-device database continues as open source, without sync | Deprecated September 2024. Removed September 30, 2025 | MongoDB |
| Visual Studio App Center (Microsoft) | Retired, including the hosted CodePush service. Analytics and Diagnostics are extended | March 31, 2025. Analytics and Diagnostics run until the end of March 2027 | Microsoft |
| Firebase Dynamic Links (Google) | Shut down. Clicked links now return a 404 | August 25, 2025 | Firebase FAQ |
The pattern is the same each time. A hosted service that is not the vendor's main business gets folded into something else or switched off, often with a year or more of notice. Apps that kept their data in standard formats, and their logic in their own code, moved in weeks. Apps that leaned on vendor-only features had to be rebuilt.
The 2026 options compared
| Backend | Database | Open source | Free tier (checked October 17, 2026) | First paid tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firebase | Firestore (NoSQL) | No | Spark plan, no payment method needed. Firestore: 1 GiB stored, 50K reads, 20K writes and 20K deletes a day | Blaze, pay as you go (Spark's free usage is included) | Google-managed apps, push via FCM, offline-first mobile |
| Supabase | PostgreSQL | Yes (Apache-2.0) | 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users, 2 active projects, paused after 1 week of inactivity | Pro from $25 a month, including $10 of compute credit | SQL data, row-level security, teams who may self-host later |
| Parse Server | MongoDB 7–8 or PostgreSQL 16–18 | Yes (Apache-2.0) | Free to self-host. Back4App's hosted free plan: 25K requests a month, 250 MB of data, 1 GB of files | Back4App MVP at $15 per app a month, billed annually | Old Parse apps, and teams who want the Parse SDKs |
| Appwrite | Its own database API | Yes (BSD-3-Clause) | Free cloud plan, or self-host | See appwrite.io/pricing | Self-hosted auth, database, storage and functions in one box |
| PocketBase | SQLite, in one Go binary | Yes (MIT) | Self-host only | Your own server | Small apps, internal tools, prototypes |
Two notes on that table. Parse Server is very much alive: the Parse community shipped version 9.10.5 on October 16, 2026, and it runs on Node.js 22 and 24 (Node 20 reached end of life in April 2026). PocketBase is still pre-1.0 (v0.40.5, released October 8, 2026), so expect breaking changes between versions.
How to choose
- You have an old Parse app. Run Parse Server. Your client SDK calls keep working with few code changes, which was the whole point of the open-source release. Self-host it if you have someone to run MongoDB or PostgreSQL. Otherwise use a hosted Parse provider.
- You are starting a new mobile app and want the least operations work. Firebase or Supabase. Choose Firebase for NoSQL documents, Firebase Cloud Messaging and offline persistence. Choose Supabase if your data is relational, if you want SQL, or if you might self-host later.
- You are leaving Realm Device Sync. Keep the open-source on-device database if you only needed local storage. If you needed sync, move to a backend that syncs, then test offline edits, conflict handling and reconnects on real devices before you switch users over.
- You must keep data on your own servers. Appwrite or Parse Server for a full backend, PocketBase for a small one.
- You were burned by a shutdown before. Prefer open source, standard databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB) and your own domain for every URL your app depends on. Firebase Dynamic Links showed that links on a vendor's domain die with the vendor's product.
Migrating off a dead or dying backend
A backend migration is usually smaller than it looks, if you do it in this order:
- List what the old backend actually did. Sign-in methods, database tables or collections, file storage, push notifications, scheduled jobs, server-side code (Parse called it Cloud Code) and any webhooks. This list is your scope.
- Export the data first. Move the records into a database you control, then point the old API at it if you still can. Parse's own migration tool worked this way, with no downtime.
- Move files separately. File storage is often not part of a database export. Copy the files and rewrite their URLs.
- Plan sign-in carefully. Find out whether password hashes can be exported and imported. If they can't, users will have to reset their passwords, so tell them in advance.
- Rebuild server-side code as functions. Cloud Functions on Firebase, Edge Functions on Supabase, Cloud Code on Parse Server.
- Ship an app update that talks to the new backend, then switch off the old one. Keep the old endpoints read-only for one release cycle, because some users update late.
Need a hand?
App369 is Simon Dziak's studio. He builds and runs Workspace369, a production Flutter and Firebase SaaS, so this advice comes from running a live backend, not from a vendor brochure.
- An app that broke when its backend changed: the App Fix Ticket diagnoses one issue for $450 and fixes it for $1,200, both fixed price.
- Moving data or connecting a new backend to Stripe, a CRM or another system: API Integration, $1,200 fixed price, 5 business days.
- Already on Firebase and the bill is climbing: the Firebase Cost-Cut Audit, $750 fixed price, 5 business days.
Frequently asked questions
- What replaced Parse after it shut down?
- Facebook open-sourced Parse Server when it announced the shutdown on January 28, 2016. It is still maintained by the Parse community (version 9.10.5 shipped October 16, 2026) and runs on Node.js with MongoDB or PostgreSQL. You can self-host it or use a hosted Parse provider such as Back4App.
- Is Kinvey still available?
- Not at its old address. Progress announced it had acquired Kinvey on June 28, 2017. On October 17, 2026, kinvey.com had no website address in DNS, and progress.com/kinvey redirected to a community page that returned a 404. If an app still depends on Kinvey, plan a migration now.
- What should I use instead of Realm Device Sync?
- MongoDB ended Atlas Device Sync on September 30, 2025. The Realm on-device database continues as open source without sync. For a synced backend, Firebase (Firestore with offline persistence) and Supabase are the common replacements. Test offline behaviour in your own app before you commit.
- Firebase or Supabase for a new mobile app?
- Firebase if you want Google-managed NoSQL, push notifications and a free Spark plan with no payment method. Supabase if you want PostgreSQL, SQL queries and an open-source stack you can self-host. Supabase Pro starts at $25 a month, and Firebase Blaze is pay as you go.
Sources
- Parse blog, "Moving On" (January 28, 2016), Wayback Machine copy
- Parse Server on GitHub (releases, supported databases)
- Progress, "Progress Acquires the Leading Provider of Backend-as-a-Service" (June 28, 2017)
- Progress, Telerik Platform retirement notice on the appbuilder npm package
- MongoDB, Atlas Device SDKs deprecation
- Firebase Dynamic Links FAQ (shutdown date)
- Microsoft, Visual Studio App Center retirement
- Firebase pricing
- Supabase pricing
- Back4App backend pricing
- Appwrite on GitHub
- PocketBase on GitHub
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