How it works

How 8base works

8base helps you build web applications with JavaScript development skills.

8base Architecture

Application Core Services

8base provides a number of core backend services to help you move faster and securely without needing to reinvent the wheel.

Services includes:

  • Role-Based Access Controls
  • User Management
  • Authentication
  • File Handling
  • Single Sign-On

Learn more about our application core services.

DevOps-Free Infrastructure

8base provides an instantly available, DevOps-free storage and computing infrastructure.

Capabilities include:

Configurations include:

  • Standard 8base shared multi-tenant
  • Dedicated 8base instance
  • Self-hosted instance

Compliance:

  • Soc II
  • HIPAA

Integrations

8base provides an instantly available, DevOps-free storage and computing infrastructure.

8base auto-generates and auto- documents a powerful API based on the configuration of your 8base backend.

You can also cross-connect your Salesforce data to 8base data.

Learn more about 8base Bolt.

GraphQL API Engine

8base auto-generates and auto- documents a powerful API based on the configuration of your 8base backend.

Our GraphQL API makes 8base backends headless so that they can be consumed not only by apps built using 8base App Builder but by custom-built web and mobile applications, other systems and loT devices.

Learn more about our GraphQL Engine.

Custom Web App

With 8base, developers can build custom web applications using their framework of choice, such as React, Vuejs, Angular and others and then connect it to the 8base backend using GraphQL.

8base App Builder App

Utilize 8base App Builder's drag-and-drop tools to build fully-functional progressive web apps that connect to 8base backends and other data sources.

Custom Mobile App

With 8base, developers can build custom mobile applications using their framework of choice, such as React Native, Swift or Android then connect it to the 8base backend using GraphQL.

Get your Backend up and running
in 5 Simple Steps

8base does most of the work while allowing you to fully extend and customize your GraphQL API, as needed.

1 • Modeling

Define your data model.

8base provides simple to use data modeling and data integration tools that your team can use to define your data schema.

Modeling
2 • DATA

Import data or enter it yourself.

Use our easy Data Viewer to enter your data like a spreadsheet or import from .csv files.

Data
3 • query

Query your auto-generated GraphQL API and place it in your frontend components.

8base automatically creates and documents all of your CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete) and Subscription operations for instant real-time access to your data.

Query
4 • Roles

Configure roles and access permissions.

Set up multiple roles and configure access rights, all with no-code.

Roles
5 • FUNCTIONS

Develop backend functions using JavaScript and Typescript.

Create custom JavaScript and TypeScript logic in your favorite IDE and use 8base’s CLI to run it in 8base Serverless Functions. Create functions as GraphQL resolvers, triggers, webhooks or scheduled tasks.

Functions

Use your frontend technology of choice

Every framework has its own features and advantages. 8base integrated with every framework so that you can choose the best fit for your organization.

8base
App Builder

React

Angular

Vue

Gatsby

Ionic

Gridsome

Swift

Android

NextJS

Flutter

SvelKit

SolidJS

8base offers managed backend options for companies of all sizes

Start in our multi-tenant environment and graduate to dedicated and self-hosted options as desired

Multi-Tenant

Start in our multi-tenant environment.

Dedicated Environment

Scale up to a dedicated environment on AWS.

Self-Hosted

Opt for self-hosting on your own AWS environment for added control and compliance.

Build with confidence that you won’t be locked in.

Unlike other platforms, 8base uses standards and widely accepted technologies to ensure your intellectual property can be ported to other platforms if the need ever arises.

Amazon Web Services

8base is built on AWS so you never have to worry about infrastructure limitations or downtime.

JavaScript and TypeScript

8base allows developers to code full-stack applications using languages that 70% of professional developers know.

MySQL

MySQL is an open-source database used by millions of organizations worldwide. You own your data & can easily take it with you if you decide to migrate off of 8base.

GraphQL

GraphQL is an open source data query & manipulation language for APIs, & a runtime for fulfilling queries with existing data.

TESTIMONIALS

What Are Customers Saying About 8base?

chief of product development at cobuild lab
Angel Lacret
Chief of Product Development @ Cobuild Lab
“8base cuts in half all the things that you need to do to create a well-designed application.”
front-end developer and ux/ui designer for ibm
Eva Hankova
Front-end Developer, UI/UX Designer @ IBM
"8base's GraphQL API is amazing! It gives me everything I need to quickly build front-end apps with robust filters, sorting and pagination for my data with zero backend work."
chief technology officer for evidencecare
Ryan Macy
chief technology officer @ EvidenceCare
"GraphQL is a really amazing solution for a very serious problem, which is making APIs as usable as a UIs. That’s pretty much a requirement today for creating a great developer experience.”
senior developer advocate for microsoft
Christian Nwamba
Senior Developer Advocate @ Microsoft
“8base is a life-changing tool for developers. It's like Firebase but with GraphQL, relational data, flexibility and extensibility. I absolutely love it!”
front-end developer for w+r studios
Sky Winston
Front-End Developer @ W+R Studios
“Speaking on behalf of front-end developers, what we don’t have is a way to easily get a back-end up and running. That’s why I’m so excited about 8base. It’s where I can go to do just that."
analyst for it partners limited
Sam Woolerton
Analyst @ IT Partners Limited
" I detest DevOps, database migrations, and that sort of stuff. And literally, 8base handles all of that. So, it’s perfect for me. "
analyst for it partners limited
Abdul Karmach,
CO-Founder @ AscendWare.net
"We founded the company doing low code but hopped around different platforms because they all had critical limitations and dead ends. We needed low-code, but also complete flexibility — and that’s precisely what 8base provides. It allows us to build any application while dramatically reducing the expense and labor. "
analyst for it partners limited
Mihir Shah
Co-Founder @ ITWOX
"The feedback has been that it's very easy for the new devs to understand the core concept of 8base. It takes about a day or two for them to really get up to speed."
analyst for it partners limited
Josh Clements
Managing Director @ Integris Group
"Usually, you expect to get 80% of what you want with low code; the other 20% is nearly impossible and you just burn a ton of time trying to accomplish it. We have not encountered that 20% at all since transitioning to 8base."
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Frequently Asked Questions

What cloud provider does 8base utilize?

8base utilizes Amazon Web Services (AWS) for workspace databases (Aurora MySQL), file/object storage (S3), realtime events and notifications (SNS), and serverless computing (Lambda).


Does 8base utilize an open source GraphQL engine?

8base uses some open source tooling, like Apollo Server. However, we’ve invested heavily in building our own GraphQL Engine that is a core innovation of the 8base platform. This GraphQL Engine is not open source and we continually work on advancing its feature functionality.

What is GraphQL?

GraphQL is an open-source data query and manipulation language for APIs, and a runtime for fulfilling queries with existing data. GraphQL was developed internally by Facebook in 2012 before being publicly released in 2015. In 2018, the GraphQL project was moved from Facebook to the newly-established GraphQL Foundation, hosted by the non-profit Linux Foundation.

It provides an approach to developing web APIs that’s different from REST and other web service architectures. GraphQL consists of a type system, query language and execution semantics, static validation, and type introspection. 8base GraphQL automatically supports reading, writing (mutating), and subscribing to changes to data (realtime updates – most commonly implemented using WebHooks).

This What is GraphQL Video helps to describe the concept.

What is the value of 8base?

Developers can...

  • Easily get up and running with an instantly available backend and auto-generated GraphQL API.
  • Avoid having to spend any time maintaining infrastructure.
  • Pull data into any front-end or mobile client, building fully-functional applications.
  • Work faster while enjoying a great developer experience.

Non-developers can...

  • Quickly build powerful digital products.
  • Use less money and smaller teams to develop scalable, professional-grade applications.

Is 8base open source?

The 8base team maintains the software and infrastructure behind 8base and provides support. We love the open-source philosophy and we use and develop a lot of open-source tools ourselves, but the 8base platform itself is not open source.

What programming languages does 8base support?

8base serverless functions utilize Node.js, an open-source, cross-platform, JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code on the server-side. 8base's serverless environment supports backend functions written in JavaScript and its superset, TypeScript.


What type of database does an 8base workspace use?

Each 8base workspace provides an Aurora MySQL Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). The standard database is provisioned as a dedicated  instance in a shared cluster that’s hosted in the AWS East Region. In our custom pricing tier, 8base offers the ability to upsize the database environment, move to a dedicated cluster, move to another AWS region, and even create a global cluster.


What do people make with 8base?

8base was made to support the needs of professional-grade applications. To us, this means applications that are for business or are the business, as is the case with a startup or scale-up's digital product. Professional-grade applications typically support multiple personas (roles). These applications are also typically data-intensive and workflow-intensive while supporting web and mobile clients.

Common types of applications include:

  • Multi-tenant Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications
  • Marketplaces, social networks and other network-centric applications
  • Portals and customer experience application
  • Internal applications where off-the-shelf SaaS products either do not address the need well or are too expensive to be used
  • Administrative parts of virtual / augmented reality applications
  • Games
  • API-only applications
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