Software · head to head
Swagger vs Backendless
Swagger
Software
API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Backendless
Software
Visual app development platform with REST APIs and cloud backend
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Swagger swaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page; Backendless free tier limited to 50 API requests per minute and 20 database tables
- They diverge on capability: Swagger covers API Specification, Backendless covers REST API.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Swagger and Backendless actually diverge.
| Attribute | Swagger | Backendless |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, CLI, Desktop | Cloud, Visual builder |
| Founded | 2011 | 2012 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Swagger
- API Specification
- Interactive Documentation
- Code Generation
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Azure DevOps
- Jira
- Web support
Only in Backendless
- REST API
- Real-time database
- Cloud code
- Custom integrations
- Webhooks
- Cloud functions
- Cloud support
- Visual builder support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Swagger
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
Backendless
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
Both are used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation, microservices, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Swagger
- SwaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page
Backendless
- Free tier limited to 50 API requests per minute and 20 database tables
- Smaller community and integration ecosystem compared to Firebase or AWS
- Customization beyond codeless tools requires developer expertise
- Limited documentation for advanced use cases and edge cases
Pricing, plan by plan
Swagger
Free- FreeFree
- OpenAPI specification
- Swagger UI
- API documentation
- Professional$20/monthly
- Advanced features
- Team collaboration
- API testing
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- Advanced security
- Dedicated support
Backendless
Free- FreeFree
- 50 API requests/minute
- 20 database tables
- 1 GB file storage
- Scale Variable$15/month
- Unlimited API requests/month
- 100 database tables
- 10 GB file storage
- Scale Fixed$15/month
- Same as Scale Variable
- Fixed monthly pricing
Which should you pick?
Choose Swagger if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
- You also want interactive documentation.
Choose Backendless if
- You need rest api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, Visual builder.
- You also want real-time database.
Questions people ask
- Is Swagger or Backendless better?
- Neither clearly leads. Swagger starts at Free and Backendless at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Swagger or Backendless?
- Swagger starts at Free and Backendless at Free.
- Does Swagger or Backendless run on more platforms?
- Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop. Backendless runs on Cloud, Visual builder.
- Can I use Swagger for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Swagger best used for?
- Swagger is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation.
- What can Swagger do that Backendless cannot?
- Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub. Backendless covers REST API, Real-time database, Cloud code, Custom integrations.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Backendless: Does Backendless have a free tier?
Backendless Free plan ($0/month) includes 50 API requests per minute, 20 database tables, 1 GB file storage, 1 visualization, 2 security roles, and basic cloud code capabilities.
SourceBackendless: What features does the Scale plan include?
Scale plan ($15+/month) provides unlimited API requests per month, 100 database tables, 10 GB file storage, 5 visualizations, 10 custom API keys, daily backups, free SSL certificates, and 1,000 real-time connections.
SourceBackendless: Can I add more storage or increase API limits?
Yes, Backendless offers Function Packs ranging from $5-$399/month to increase specific limits such as storage, API requests, or security features.
SourceBackendless: Does Backendless support offline functionality?
Backendless supports real-time sync and offline capabilities for mobile apps, allowing data to sync when connectivity is restored.
SourceBackendless: Is Backendless Pro available for self-hosting?
Yes, Backendless Pro Community Edition is available under free licensing for core functionality. Managed Backendless is a paid option for self-hosted deployments with request-based pricing.
SourceBackendless: What are Backendless's integration limitations?
While Backendless supports many integrations, it has a smaller integration library compared to competitors. Finding solutions to edge cases or complex setups may require more development effort.
Source