5 Open Source Tools for Backend Developers in 2025

Open-source tools are a must-have for developers, whether you're just getting started or building real-world applications. They make the development process smoother, faster, and more collaborative.

With so many options available, it's easier than ever to find the right tool for the job.

In this article, I’ll walk you through 5 open-source tools for backend developers to check out in 2025.

Some are new, others have been around for a while, but all of them have something unique to offer.

Let’s jump in! 🚀

You can use these tools in your projects or even contribute to them to make them better.

Nitric - Universal backend framework

Nitric is an open-source framework that simplifies cloud app development by enabling developers to define infrastructure in code. It supports multiple languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Python, Go, and Dart, it offers cloud-agnostic deployment across providers. With features like local cloud environment emulation and seamless integration into CI/CD pipelines, Nitric helps teams focus on building scalable applications without the complexity of managing cloud services.

To start using Nitric, ensure you have Git and Docker installed for retrieving, containerizing, and deploying applications. For deployment, tools like Pulumi or Terraform may also be required.

Let’s explore how we can use Nitric for development!

To install Nitric CLI on macOS run this:

brew install nitrictech/tap/nitric

Example of creating a new project from a template using Nitric CLI's new command:

nitric new hello-world js-starter

Navigate to the new project directory and install the dependencies:

cd hello-world

npm install

Now, your project should look like this:

+--services/
|  +-- hello.js
+--node_modules/
|  ...
+--package-lock.json
+--package.json
+--nitric.yaml
+--README.md

It’s time to run the local Nitric app:

nitric start

Nitric will spin off your application from the nitric.yaml file.

You can follow quick-start docs from Nitric to test and explore more functionality.

Some features:

✅ Custom Providers: Tailor workflows and tools to your preferred cloud services with full flexibility. Unlike other platforms or SaaS, it doesn’t require changes to your existing deployment pipelines.

✅ Ecosystem-Friendly: Fully open source and designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing workflows and tools without additional subscriptions. Supports multiple languages like Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, Dart and Java.

✅ IaC Integration: Works with Pulumi and Terraform to generate infrastructure configurations. The configurations produced by Nitric are designed to be extensible and customizable, allowing you to tailor them to your specific deployment needs.

Features like these make Nitric a versatile cloud-native framework for application development, offering flexibility and seamless integration to fit diverse workflows.

You can find more features and resources to properly use Nitric from its documentation.

They have 1.4k+ stars on GitHub, you can contribute or join their community to get involved.

Star Nitric on GitHub ⭐️

Encore - Backend framework for robust type-safe applications

Encore is an open-source backend framework designed to simplify the development of type-safe distributed systems.

It integrates infrastructure directly into your code as type-safe objects, reducing boilerplate and streamlining the development process.

Key Features:

✅ Optimized Performance: Encore, powered by Rust, delivers backend APIs that are significantly faster than traditional frameworks like Express.js, enabling swift request processing and validation.

✅ Easy Compatibility: Encore works seamlessly with popular frameworks or ORMs like Drizzle and Prisma, making it easy to integrate into existing projects.

✅ Built-in Automation: The framework automates local infrastructure setup. The dashboard provides tools like service catalogs, API explorers, tracing, logging, and architecture diagrams.

By emphasizing performance, type safety, and ease of integration, Encore enables developers to focus on building robust applications without the added complexity of managing distributed systems.

To start with Encore app

Install Encore (for macOS):

brew install encoredev/tap/encore

Create an example app:

encore app create

Run locally:

encore run

For more details, you can check their QuickStart Guide

Also, You can find more examples and resources to properly explore Encore from its documentation.

They have 8.5k+ stars on GitHub, you can contribute or join their community to get involved.

Star Encore on GitHub ⭐️

Appwrite - Simple backend

Appwrite is an open-source Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform that simplifies backend development by providing a comprehensive set of APIs and tools. It enables developers to build secure and scalable applications using their preferred programming languages and frameworks.

Key Features:

✅ Authentication: Secure user authentication with support for multiple login methods, including email/password, SMS, OAuth, anonymous, and magic URLs.

✅ Databases: Scalable and robust databases for storing and managing application and user data, with advanced permission models and custom data validation.

✅ Functions: Serverless functions that allow developers to extend and customize backend functionality, with support for multiple runtimes and automatic deployment from GitHub.

Appwrite simplifies backend management, letting developers focus on building feature-rich applications without the complexity of infrastructure.

To check more features and test out functionalities, check their docs.

They have 43k+ stars on GitHub, you can contribute or join their huge community to get involved.

Star Appwrite on GitHub ⭐️

Manifest - 1 file micro-backend

Manifest is an open-source Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) that simplifies backend development by consolidating it into a single YAML file. This approach streamlines the setup process, allowing developers to focus on building dynamic frontends with ease.

Let’s look at 1 example of Manifest project:

Run this on your terminal from the root of your project:

npx add-manifest@latest

This will create a manifest/backend.yml file and add the required dependencies.

Example manifest/backend.yml should look like this:

name: Healthcare application

entities:
  Doctor 👩🏾‍⚕️:
    properties:
      - fullName
      - avatar
      - { name: price, type: money, options: { currency: EUR } }
    belongsTo:
      - City

  Patient 🤒:
    properties:
      - fullName
      - { name: birthdate, type: date }
    belongsTo:
      - Doctor

  City 🌍:
    properties:
      - name

To serve the backend locally, run:

npm run manifest

Now, you can access the Admin panel at http://localhost:1111 using the email admin@manifest.build and password admin

To check more features and test out functionalities, check their docs.

Key Features:

✅ Simplified Backend Configuration: Define your entire backend, including database schemas, authentication, and storage, within one YAML file, reducing setup time and potential errors. Best part, you can self host anywhere you want!

✅ Seamless Frontend Integration: Manifest offers plug-and-play compatibility with various frontend frameworks, such as React, Vue, and Angular, through its JavaScript SDK or REST API, facilitating quick and efficient connections.

✅ Comprehensive Admin Panel: It provides a user-friendly admin interface for managing data, users, and settings, enabling both developers and non-technical users to oversee backend operations effectively.

Manifest makes it easy to build and deploy dynamic applications quickly, without the hassle of managing complex backend setups.

They have 1k+ stars on GitHub, you can contribute or join their community to get involved.

Star Manifest on GitHub ⭐️

Nhost - Backend without limits

Nhost is an open-source backend and development platform that streamlines backend development by providing a comprehensive suite of tools and services. It enables developers to build and scale web and mobile applications efficiently, focusing on delivering robust features without the complexity of managing backend infrastructure.

You can even run custom services written in your preferred language, Nhost empowers developers to focus on building dynamic and feature-rich applications without the overhead of managing complex backend infrastructure.

Let’s look at quick Nhost x React app setup:

Create your project through the Nhost Dashboard

Setup database by opening SQL Editor and run the following SQL to create a new table todos

CREATE TABLE todos (
  id uuid NOT NULL DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
  created_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
  updated_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now(),
  user_id uuid NOT NULL,
  contents text NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (id),
  FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES auth.users(id) ON UPDATE cascade ON DELETE cascade
);

• It’s time to configure the todos table permissions via dashboard. Click on the ... to open the actions dialog, then click on Edit Permissions.

  Make changes based on instructions provided here

Now, Configure permissions to enable user file uploads

Initialize a new React project using the template @nhost/react-apollo :

Intialize a new React project using the template @nhost/react-apollo

Connect your React app to the Nhost project:

const nhost = new NhostClient({
  subdomain: "<subdomain>", // replace the subdomain value e.g. "hjcuuqweqwezolpolrep"
  region: "<region>", // replace the region value e.g. "eu-central-1"
});

Next, Create the Todos Page and Add It to the Sidebar Navigation.

Finally, run your project with npm start and you can access preview at http://localhost:3000

To follow each step properly and get access to codes, follow this quick-start guide!

Some features of Nhost:

✅ PostgreSQL Database: Utilize the world's most advanced relational database for reliable and scalable data storage.

✅ GraphQL API: Access an instant, real-time GraphQL API based on your database schema, facilitating seamless data interactions.

✅ Authentication: Implement role-based permissions and authentication mechanisms to secure your applications effectively.

To check more features and test out functionalities, check their docs.

They have 8k+ stars on GitHub, you can contribute or join their community to get involved.

Star Nhost on GitHub ⭐️

That’s a wrap! These five open-source tools are a must-try for backend developers in 2025.Some are popular and actively welcoming contributions, making them perfect for those looking to get involved in exciting new projects.

If you found this article useful, share it with your peers and community to spread the word about these incredible tools.

Got other awesome open-source projects in mind? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear your recommendations!

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