backend-as-a-service
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The Database That Learned to Disappear
Three Dropbox infrastructure veterans tried to spare developers from databases, queues and cache invalidation. Then coding agents arrived - and made Convex's opinionated backend look less like a shortcut than a new division of labor.
Paul Copplestone Bet on a 40-Year-Old Database - Then AI Came Knocking
Supabase began with a stubborn idea: the easiest backend should also let developers leave. Six years, millions of builders, and one AI coding wave later, Paul Copplestone is still making the case for open infrastructure.
The Postgres Company That Let AI Write the Signups
It started as the open-source answer to Firebase. Then AI coding agents adopted it as their default backend, and Supabase doubled its valuation to $10.5 billion in eight months.
Directus
Directus is an open-source data platform that wraps any SQL database with an instant REST and GraphQL API plus a no-code admin app, letting developers and non-technical users manage content and data without building a backend from scratch. Founded on a project Ben Haynes started in 2004 and incorporated as a company in 2020, Directus has surpassed 30 million downloads and is used by organizations including Adobe, Bose, Tripadvisor, AT&T and the U.S. Navy.