Backendje

Backendje is a lightweight open-source back-end framework designed for building API-driven server applications. It emphasizes simplicity, a small footprint, and rapid development cycles for small teams and educational contexts.

The name backendje derives from Dutch, where the suffix -je is a diminutive, signaling a compact, approachable back-end foundation.

Design and architecture: It uses a modular core with pluggable components called plugins. The framework provides HTTP routing, a middleware pipeline, data validation, authentication, and standardized error handling. It is designed to be database-agnostic through adapters and to support REST and GraphQL endpoints. While it supports zero-config setups, it also offers explicit configuration options for more complex deployments.

Implementation and ecosystem: Backendje is implemented in TypeScript and runs on Node.js. The core project ships with a small set of built-in features, while a broader plugin ecosystem adds database adapters, authentication strategies, and testing utilities. Official plugins have been maintained since its initial release in 2018, and community contributions remain a core aspect of the project.

Usage and reception: It is commonly used for rapid prototyping, educational labs, and small-scale services. Advocates highlight its concise API and fast bootstrap; critics point to a relatively small ecosystem and potential scalability limitations for large enterprises.

See also: back-end, web framework, API, Node.js.