Software Architect's Handbook

Backend as a Service (BaaS)

Backend as a Service (BaaS), which has its roots in Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS), is a model that allows developers to take advantage of service applications provided by third parties. This reduces development time and costs, as teams do not have to write these services in-house. In contrast with FaaS, where development teams write their own code for the various functions, BaaS offers the use of existing services.

Examples of the functionality provided by service applications include a database, push notifications, file storage, and authentication services. In the serverless architecture diagram, the authentication service and the storage service for the static resources are examples of BaaS.