What is DreamFactory and what are its top alternatives?
DreamFactory is an open-source REST API platform that enables developers to connect any SQL or NoSQL database to an API and provide secure, intelligent API endpoints with built-in support for user management, security, caching, and more. Its key features include API automation, role-based access control, data transformations, and live API docs generation. However, some limitations of DreamFactory include a complex set-up process and a relatively small community for support.
- Postman: Postman is a collaboration platform for API development that offers tools for designing, testing, and documenting APIs. Key features include automated testing, mock servers, and integration with popular tools like GitHub. Pros include a user-friendly interface and wide community support, but cons include limited capabilities for complex data transformations compared to DreamFactory.
- Tyk: Tyk is a highly customizable API management platform that offers features such as rate limiting, authentication, and analytics. Pros include scalability and flexibility in configuration, while cons include a steeper learning curve for beginners.
- Apigee: Apigee is a comprehensive API management platform acquired by Google Cloud that provides features like API design, security, and analytics. Pros include seamless integration with Google Cloud services, but cons include higher costs compared to DreamFactory for smaller projects.
- Kong: Kong is an open-source API gateway and management platform with features like load balancing, caching, and authentication. Pros include a vibrant community and plugins ecosystem, while cons include a more manual setup compared to DreamFactory's automated features.
- MuleSoft Anypoint Platform: MuleSoft offers an integration platform with capabilities for API design, management, and monitoring. Pros include a visual interface for designing APIs, but cons include a higher learning curve for complex integrations compared to DreamFactory.
- Swagger: Swagger is a powerful tool for designing, building, and documenting APIs with tools like the OpenAPI Specification. Pros include robust documentation capabilities, but cons include a lack of built-in data transformation features compared to DreamFactory.
- AWS API Gateway: Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service for creating, publishing, maintaining, monitoring, and securing APIs at any scale. Pros include seamless integration with other AWS services, but cons include higher costs for heavy usage compared to DreamFactory's open-source model.
- Wso2 API Manager: Wso2 API Manager is an open-source API management platform that offers features like API design, security, and analytics. Pros include a strong focus on security and compliance, but cons include a more complex setup process compared to DreamFactory.
- 3scale: 3scale is a API management platform that offers features like API publishing, access control, and analytics. Pros include a user-friendly developer portal, but cons include limited support for complex data transformations compared to DreamFactory.
- AWS Amplify: AWS Amplify is a set of tools and services for building secure, scalable full-stack applications. Pros include seamless integration with other AWS services for API development, but cons include a more limited focus on API management compared to DreamFactory.
Top Alternatives to DreamFactory
- Parse
With Parse, you can add a scalable and powerful backend in minutes and launch a full-featured app in record time without ever worrying about server management. We offer push notifications, social integration, data storage, and the ability to add rich custom logic to your app’s backend with Cloud Code. ...
- Deployd
Deployd is the simplest way to build realtime APIs for web and mobile apps. Ready-made, configurable Resources add common functionality to a Deployd backend, which can be further customized with JavaScript Events. ...
- LoopBack
A highly-extensible, open-source Node.js framework that enables you to create dynamic end-to-end REST APIs with little or no coding. Connect to multiple data sources, write business logic in Node.js, glue on top of your existing services and data, connect using JS, iOS & Android SDKs. ...
- Firebase
Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds. ...
- Apigee
API management, design, analytics, and security are at the heart of modern digital architecture. The Apigee intelligent API platform is a complete solution for moving business to the digital world. ...
- StrongLoop
It is an American company working with Node.js to create and support StrongLoop Suite, a Mobile API Tier. StrongLoop employs two members of the Node.js Technical Steering Committee. IBM & StrongLoop contribute to and support Open-Source options for the API developer community, such as LoopBack, API Microgateway, and Open API Spec. ...
- Kong
Kong is a scalable, open source API Layer (also known as an API Gateway, or API Middleware). Kong controls layer 4 and 7 traffic and is extended through Plugins, which provide extra functionality and services beyond the core platform. ...
- WSO2
It delivers the only complete open source middleware platform. With its revolutionary componentized design, it is also the only open source platform-as-a-service for private and public clouds available today. With it, seamless migration and integration between servers, private clouds, and public clouds is now a reality. ...
DreamFactory alternatives & related posts
- Easy setup118
- Free hosting78
- Well-documented62
- Cheap52
- Use push notifications in 3 lines of code47
- Fast41
- Cloud code39
- Good for prototypes32
- Cloud modules31
- Backed by facebook27
- Parse Push7
- Cross Platform7
- Parse Analytics6
- Multiplatform6
- Parse Core6
- Quick chat and profile capabilities5
- Cloud Based5
- Free Tier5
- Nice security concept4
- Free4
- Backbone Models3
- Local Datastore3
- Backend as a service3
- Geopoints3
- Easy to use2
- Anonymous Users2
- About to Die2
related Parse posts
- Its simple to use to make a demo for customer and show2
- Very simple to use. Love the real time features2
related Deployd posts
- Need a nodejs ReST-API, DB, AAA, Swagger? Then loopback11
- Easy Database Migration9
- Code generator6
- The future of API's4
- GraphQL2
- Typescript1
- Community is slow7
- Backward compatibility1
related LoopBack posts
We undertook the task of building a manufacturing ERP for small branded manufacturers. We needed to build a lot, fast with a small team, and have clear focus on product delivery. We chose JavaScript / Node.js ( React + LoopBack full stack) , Heroku and Heroku Postgres (also Heroku Redis ) . This decision has guided us to picking other key technologies. It has granted us high pace of product delivery and service availability while operating with a small team.
We have an existing (Apis only) Rails backend, that by default follows the MVC pattern, (at peaks of 700 requests a second). I am tasked with making the same (read-heavy) application in any JavaScript framework. I was advised to follow the MVC structure. So I am considering these 3 ( Sails.js, LoopBack, NestJS). I get that sails is closest to rails, but that's not particularly a priority.
- Realtime backend made easy371
- Fast and responsive270
- Easy setup242
- Real-time215
- JSON191
- Free134
- Backed by google128
- Angular adaptor83
- Reliable68
- Great customer support36
- Great documentation32
- Real-time synchronization25
- Mobile friendly21
- Rapid prototyping18
- Great security14
- Automatic scaling12
- Freakingly awesome11
- Chat8
- Angularfire is an amazing addition!8
- Super fast development8
- Built in user auth/oauth6
- Firebase hosting6
- Ios adaptor6
- Awesome next-gen backend6
- Speed of light4
- Very easy to use4
- Great3
- It's made development super fast3
- Brilliant for startups3
- Free hosting2
- Cloud functions2
- JS Offline and Sync suport2
- Low battery consumption2
- .net2
- The concurrent updates create a great experience2
- Push notification2
- I can quickly create static web apps with no backend2
- Great all-round functionality2
- Free authentication solution2
- Easy Reactjs integration1
- Google's support1
- Free SSL1
- CDN & cache out of the box1
- Easy to use1
- Large1
- Faster workflow1
- Serverless1
- Good Free Limits1
- Simple and easy1
- Can become expensive31
- No open source, you depend on external company16
- Scalability is not infinite15
- Not Flexible Enough9
- Cant filter queries7
- Very unstable server3
- No Relational Data3
- Too many errors2
- No offline sync2
related Firebase posts
I was building a personal project that I needed to store items in a real time database. I am more comfortable with my Frontend skills than my backend so I didn't want to spend time building out anything in Ruby or Go.
I stumbled on Firebase by #Google, and it was really all I needed. It had realtime data, an area for storing file uploads and best of all for the amount of data I needed it was free!
I built out my application using tools I was familiar with, React for the framework, Redux.js to manage my state across components, and styled-components for the styling.
Now as this was a project I was just working on in my free time for fun I didn't really want to pay for hosting. I did some research and I found Netlify. I had actually seen them at #ReactRally the year before and deployed a Gatsby site to Netlify already.
Netlify was very easy to setup and link to my GitHub account you select a repo and pretty much with very little configuration you have a live site that will deploy every time you push to master.
With the selection of these tools I was able to build out my application, connect it to a realtime database, and deploy to a live environment all with $0 spent.
If you're looking to build out a small app I suggest giving these tools a go as you can get your idea out into the real world for absolutely no cost.
Your tech stack is solid for building a real-time messaging project.
React and React Native are excellent choices for the frontend, especially if you want to have both web and mobile versions of your application share code.
ExpressJS is an unopinionated framework that affords you the flexibility to use it's features at your term, which is a good start. However, I would recommend you explore Sails.js as well. Sails.js is built on top of Express.js and it provides additional features out of the box, especially the Websocket integration that your project requires.
Don't forget to set up Graphql codegen, this would improve your dev experience (Add Typescript, if you can too).
I don't know much about databases but you might want to consider using NO-SQL. I used Firebase real-time db and aws dynamo db on a few of my personal projects and I love they're easy to work with and offer more flexibility for a chat application.
- Highly scalable and secure API Management Platform12
- Good documentation6
- Quick jumpstart6
- Fast and adjustable caching3
- Easy to use3
- Expensive11
- Doesn't support hybrid natively1
related Apigee posts
Amazon API Gateway vs Apigee. How do they compare as an API Gateway? What is the equivalent functionality, similarities, and differences moving from Apigee API GW to AWS API GW?
related StrongLoop posts
- Easy to maintain37
- Easy to install32
- Flexible26
- Great performance21
- Api blueprint7
- Custom Plugins4
- Kubernetes-native3
- Security2
- Has a good plugin infrastructure2
- Agnostic2
- Load balancing1
- Documentation is clear1
- Very customizable1
related Kong posts
Hello :) We are using Datadog on Kong to monitor the metrics and analytics.
We feel that the cost associated with Datadog is high in terms of custom metrics and indexations. So, we planned to find an alternative for Datadog and we are looking into Grafana implementation with kong.
Will the shift from Datadog to Grafana be a wise move and flawless?
As for the new support of service mesh pattern by Kong, I wonder how does it compare to Istio?