Xamarin Backend | Top 5 Providers

Xamarin is a leading open-source, cross-platform application platform for the development of high-performance mobile apps. Cross-platform Android and iOS applications developed with this platform are used by businesses across industries today. 

Finding the right Xamarin backend is crucial for any development team. There are many options available in the market and read on to discover the top 5 Xamarin backends available today. 

What is Xamarin?

Xamarin is an open-source development platform for the development of cutting-edge Windows, Android, and iOS applications. It utilizes .NET and functions as an abstraction layer for managing shared and platform code. Developers run Xamarin in managed environments and harness features such as garbage collection and memory allocation. Xamarin is used for sharing and testing code and writing cross-platform apps in C#.

Xamarin can be used for writing applications with native UIs and sharing code across many platforms such as Windows, Linux, and macOS. It offers a C#-shared codebase and is relied upon by users around the globe for its powerful features. 

Xamarin Benefits

1. Native User Experience

Xamarin offers users complete access to native APIs and components for iOS, Android, and Windows platforms. It also provides native or near-native design and performance for applications. This makes Xamarin a more widely-preferred option among developers. 

2. Convenient technological stack

A key advantage of using Xamarin is that it can facilitate cross-platform app development using only C#. It also takes away the requirement to switch between different environments, as developers can use Visual Studio. As a result, Xamarin is a time-efficient, easy to learn, and useful option for developers. They can use one language instead of many. 

3. Time-to-market Improvement

Xamarin’s shareable codebase can minimize development time. Developers can code once and reuse most of the code for other solutions while making only small changes. As a result, they save a lot of time and reduce unnecessary effort. This translates to faster development cycles and improves time to market. Xamarin also reduces costs as development is simple with it. It also offers many cross-platform tools that do not require paying for. 

4. Maintenance is simple

Applications developed by using Xamarin. Forms are quite easy to maintain due to code sharing. Developers that need to fix existing problems and update apps can easily do so with source code. These changes are applied automatically to other solutions. The time and effort spent on maintenance could be reduced with Xamarin. Xamarin offers prompt support for users, along with training. 

5. Testing

Xamarin offers many solutions to users to test and monitor app performance and user interface through the Xamarin Test Cloud and the Xamarin Test Recorder. Tools like these let users perform automated testing on multiple devices to detect performance problems.

What is a Backend as a Service?

Backend as a service (BaaS) or MbaaS is a widely used cloud service model. A mobile backend as a service enables developers to utilize certain features for managing data and business logic of an application. It is preferred by developers as a MbaaS service provider to handle all infrastructure requirements necessary for making an application function optimally. 

Backend as a Service Core Features

  • Scalable Database
  • Cloud Code Functions
  • APIs
  • Notifications
  • Authentication

BaaS advantages

Optimal scalability – Using a BaaS service provider can give developers a great deal of scalability. That is one of the reasons why developers around the world prefer it. The BaaS cloud model enables users to perform fast scaling based on project requirements. 

Ease of use – An MbaaS cloud service model provides considerable ease of use than many other cloud service models. BaaS users are not required to use any effort for handling hosting and maintenance. The BaaS service company takes care of everything for them. 

Reduces time – BaaS enables developers to develop faster as they are not required to run and manage servers. Users can find the resources instantly available for making agile development decisions. A BaaS setup is considered to be faster for application development than other cloud service types. 

Reliability and Data protection – BaaS offers users the option of multiple redundancy levels that make backups more available. This protects users against data loss and deletion events. Using BaaS helps users to store multiple data copies across independent locations. This cloud service model offers them convenient recovery options. 

Greater flexibility – Backend as a service is a cloud service model that offers a lot more flexibility than others. It is a convenient option for mobile application and web application development and API deployment.  

Faster market launch – Opting for a BaaS model lets users reduce their dependency on backend development professionals. Developers need to write fewer lines of code, and companies can maintain a small workforce. As a result, the time to market is also reduced. 

Top 5 Xamarin Backend Providers

Back4app

Back4App is a open-source based backend service. It is currently one of the most widely-preferred open-source backends to consider. It is one of the top Xamarin backend options for developers to consider. Back4App is a highly flexible backend that offers a wide range of functionality to users during the development process. 

Back4app Core Features

  • Spreadsheet like database (SQL or NoSQL)
  • GraphQL and REST APIs
  • Business logic via Cloud Code functions
  • Notifications (Email and Push)
  • Authentication

Back4app Pricing

  • Free Tier
  • Paid plans start at $5/month

Parse

Parse is another top backend option to consider for developers who rely on Xamarin. It can be used for developing traditional software projects like mobile, web, and Internet of Things applications. Parse also offers support for many front-end technologies like Swift, Java, Ionic, React Native, and Xamarin. 

Parse Core Features

  • Easy to use database interface
  • APIs
  • Cloud Code programming tool
  • Push-Notifications
  • SSO integration

Parse Pricing

  • Parse is free to download
  • Hosting available at $5/month

Azure

The Azure mobile application service is a development backend for creating feature-rich native applications for Windows, iOS, and Android platforms. The Azure platform can be utilized for implementing many mobile features, and it can be used for creating Node.js and C#.

Azure Core Features

  • Instances
  • File storage
  • Databases

Azure Pricing

  • Free Tier available
  • Pay as go model

Firebase

Firebase is a leading BaaS platform offering its users a wide array of features and tools for improved web and mobile application development. It is a NoSQL-based database platform that follows the JSON protocol for enhanced data storage. 

Firebase Core Features

  • Realtime Database
  • Cloud Functions
  • Analytics
  • Cloud Messaging
  • Hosting

Firebase Pricing

  • Free Tier available
  • Pay as go model

Kinvey

Kinvey is a serverless application development platform for multichannel application development. It works through the combination of a cloud backend and SDKs. Kinvey provides a serverless backend that helps developers focus on app functionality and user experience. 

Kinvey Core Features

  • Serverless backend
  • Cloud functions
  • Enterprise integrations
  • Microservices
  • Enterprise data virtualization

Kinvey Pricing

  • Free trial
  • Paid plans starting at $2,500 per year

Conclusion

Xamarin is a great way to accelerate mobile app development and standardize coding under a single development stack. There are many service providers options to host your Xamarin app, and please get in touch with a software consultant to gain a better idea about each backend.

FAQ

What is Xaramin?

Xamarin is an open-source development platform for the development of cutting-edge Windows, Android, and iOS applications. It utilizes .NET and functions as an abstraction layer for managing shared and platform code.

Why use Xaramin?

– Native user experience
– Cross platform development
– Single technology stack

What are the best backends for your Xamarin app?

– Back4app
– Parse
– Firebase
– Azure
– Kinvey


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