Top Horizon Alternatives: Realtime Backend Solutions for Your JavaScript Apps

Horizon, an open-source, realtime backend for JavaScript applications, offered a powerful way to build and deploy web and mobile apps with its simple JavaScript API and scalable architecture built on RethinkDB. While Horizon provided everything needed for realtime apps, including database and authentication services, developers often seek alternatives that might better align with their specific project needs, offer different feature sets, or provide broader community support. This article explores some of the best Horizon alternative options available today.

Best Horizon Alternatives

Whether you're looking for cloud-hosted solutions, more control with self-hosted options, or different feature priorities like GraphQL or offline support, there's an alternative to Horizon that fits your project. Let's dive into some of the top contenders.

Firebase

Firebase is a comprehensive mobile platform by Google that offers a wide array of tools and infrastructure for building and growing successful apps. As a Horizon alternative, it provides a powerful backend, a NoSQL database, real-time traffic updates, and various authentication options. It's a Freemium, Web-based platform with features like Cloud Messaging, REST API, and scalability, making it a robust choice for developers needing a fully managed, real-time backend.

Meteor

Meteor is an open-source platform for building modern web applications, known for its rapid development capabilities. It serves as an excellent Horizon alternative for those seeking a full-stack JavaScript framework that includes a backend and persistent storage. Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, Meteor simplifies web development by integrating all the necessary components for a reactive, real-time application.

Strapi

Strapi is the leading open-source Headless CMS, offering developers the flexibility to use their preferred tools while providing content editors with an easy-to-use interface. As a self-hosted Horizon alternative, Strapi offers REST and GraphQL APIs, multi-factor authentication, and a plugin manager. It's an ideal choice for projects that require a customizable content management system with powerful API capabilities and support for Node.js.

RxDB

RxDB is an open-source client-side database designed for various JavaScript runtimes, including browsers, Node.js, and React Native. It's a compelling Horizon alternative for applications that prioritize offline-first capabilities and real-time synchronization. RxDB features include observables, client-side encryption, and a decentralized NoSQL database, making it suitable for serverless applications that need robust local data handling and real-time updates.

deepstream.io

deepstream.io is an open-source, clusterable real-time server that provides data synchronization, publish/subscribe messaging, and request/response patterns. Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, it's a strong Horizon alternative for projects requiring a highly performant and scalable real-time backend. It efficiently handles persistent TCP and WebSocket connections, making it a robust solution for real-time data flow.

Rapid.io

Rapid.io is a cloud-hosted service designed to simplify the development of real-time user interfaces by abstracting away infrastructure concerns. As a Freemium, Web-based Horizon alternative, it provides a backend and database for mobile and web applications, offering features like auto-indexing and real-time updates. It's a great option for developers who want to focus on frontend development without managing backend complexities.

Flexible Datasync

Flexible Datasync is a free, web-based backend solution optimized for mobile, social, collaborative, and IoT services. It serves as a viable Horizon alternative, boosting the development of real-time applications with its specialized features. It's particularly useful for projects requiring robust data synchronization and is available for Android and iPhone platforms, making it suitable for a wide range of real-time use cases.

The best Horizon alternative for your project will depend on your specific needs, including budget, desired level of control, required features, and deployment environment. Each of these options offers unique strengths, from fully managed cloud services to flexible open-source frameworks. Explore them further to find the perfect fit for your next real-time application.