Backend & API Development
Our backend and API development team builds the server side that powers your app: databases, REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication and cloud infrastructure. We design it to stay fast and reliable as your user numbers grow.
- Fixed-scope quoteA written price and milestone plan before any work starts.
- From $4,999 CADTypical single-platform apps $5,000 to $12,000.
- You own the codeSource, designs and store accounts are yours.
- Reply within 24 hoursMon to Fri, Toronto time. Call +1 (365) 440-1786.
Who this service is for
Backend and API development fits any app that needs shared data, accounts, payments or reporting, which is most of them. It also fits companies with an existing app whose server side has become slow, costly or unsafe, and businesses that want a single API their mobile app, website and internal tools all share.
What's included
- REST and GraphQL APIs your app connects to
- Databases modelled for your data and access patterns
- User authentication and role-based access
- Cloud infrastructure on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure
- Payments, notifications and third-party integrations
- Monitoring, logging and automated backups
What is not included
- Data migration from legacy systems, unless scoped as its own line
- Formal penetration testing by a third party (we can coordinate one)
- Long-term hosting costs, which are billed by your cloud provider to your account
Anything on this list can still be quoted as a separate line, so nothing is hidden inside the main price.
How the engagement runs
- Requirements and data model. We list every entity, who can read and write it, and the reports you need, then agree the API surface and a fixed-scope quote.
- Architecture decision. We choose between a managed backend, a serverless setup or a containerised service based on your traffic, budget and team, and write the decision down.
- Build with tests. APIs are built alongside the mobile app in the same cycles, with automated tests and a staging environment your app team can use from week one.
- Integrations and hardening. Payments, notifications, third-party systems, rate limits, logging and backups, followed by a security review.
- Deploy and hand over. Production deployment under your cloud account, monitoring and alerts, a runbook and a handover session with whoever will operate it.
Every step ends with something you can open and check: a document, a prototype or a build on your own phone. Read the full four-step process for how milestones and payments line up.
Deliverables and what you own
- Source repository with infrastructure as code and a README
- API documentation (OpenAPI or GraphQL schema)
- Cloud accounts, environments and secrets in your name
- Monitoring dashboards, alert rules and backup schedule
- An operations runbook covering deploys, rollbacks and incident steps
You own all of it on final payment. Nothing is licensed back to us and nothing is held on our accounts.
How we approach it
We design your data model and API first, so the app and server agree on how information moves. We build with Node.js or Python, add authentication and the integrations you need, and document every endpoint for your team.
We plan for growth from the start. That means caching, sensible database indexes and infrastructure that can scale up when traffic rises, so your app stays quick whether you have hundreds or millions of users.
Technology choices and when each fits
| Option | Fits when | Look elsewhere when |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js or Python API on managed containers | Most business apps: predictable, easy to hire for, scales well | Very small apps where a managed backend service is cheaper to run |
| Managed backend (Firebase or Supabase) | MVPs, small teams, real-time features, tight budgets | Complex reporting, strict data residency needs or heavy relational logic |
| Serverless functions | Spiky traffic, event-driven work, keeping idle costs low | Long-running jobs or workloads that need warm connections and low latency at all times |
| PostgreSQL | Almost all transactional data, reporting and integrity constraints | Pure document or time-series workloads where a specialised store fits better |
| GraphQL instead of REST | Many client types with different data needs, complex nested data | Simple CRUD apps where REST is quicker to build and cache |
Tools we use
- Node.js and Python
- PostgreSQL, MySQL and MongoDB
- REST and GraphQL
- AWS, Google Cloud and Azure
- Docker and CI/CD pipelines
What drives the cost
Most apps we build land between $5,000 and $25,000, and these drivers decide where yours sits in that range. Your quote is fixed-scope once they are known. See our price sheet or try the app cost calculator.
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Number of entities and permissions | Every table, role and rule needs modelling, endpoints, tests and admin screens. |
| Integrations | Each external system adds authentication, error handling, retries and monitoring. |
| Real-time features | Chat, live tracking and collaborative editing need sockets and careful scaling. |
| Compliance and residency | Data residency, audit logs and encryption requirements add design and review time. |
| Reporting | Dashboards and exports often equal the effort of the app itself. |
Timelines and what moves them
- API for an MVP. built alongside the app within the same 4 to 10 week window
- Full platform backend with integrations and admin. 3 to 6 months, overlapping with the app build
What shortens or extends these ranges:
- Access to the systems we must integrate with, including sandbox credentials
- Whether data must be migrated from an existing system
- Security or procurement reviews on your side
- Clarity of reporting requirements
Risks and how we handle them
- Cloud bills growing faster than users. We size infrastructure for current traffic, set budget alerts and design for scaling in steps rather than paying for scale up front.
- A single point of failure. Managed databases with backups, health checks and documented restore steps are part of every build.
- Nobody in-house can operate it. Infrastructure as code, a runbook and a handover session, plus an optional support plan.
How to prepare before you ask for a quote
You do not need a specification. These five things are enough for us to scope accurately:
- A list of the data the app must store and who can see it
- The systems it must connect to, with a contact who can grant sandbox access
- Expected user numbers at launch and in a year, even as a rough guess
- Any data residency, retention or audit requirements from your industry
- Whether you already have a cloud account or preferred provider
Why choose us
- Backend engineers who design for scale, not just launch
- Clear API documentation your team can rely on
- Secure authentication and data handling
- You own the code, database schema and infrastructure setup
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Most apps do. If your app has user accounts, stores data in the cloud, sends notifications or connects to other services, it needs a backend and APIs.
We build with Node.js or Python depending on your needs, and choose a database that fits your data. We explain the trade-offs during planning.
Yes. We integrate payments, maps, messaging, analytics and other third-party services through their APIs, with secure handling of keys and data.
Yes. We use caching, database indexing and cloud infrastructure that scales, so your app stays responsive as usage grows.
We set up your cloud infrastructure and can maintain it through a support plan, including monitoring, backups and updates.
If the app stores shared data, has accounts, takes payments or reports on activity, yes. Very simple apps can run on a managed backend service, and we will say so if that is the cheaper right answer.
You do. We build in your cloud account or transfer it to you at handover, with the billing in your name and infrastructure defined as code.
Yes. One well-designed API can serve the mobile app, a web app and staff dashboards, which is usually cheaper than separate systems.
Authentication with short-lived tokens, role checks on every endpoint, input validation, rate limiting, encrypted storage, audit logging and a security review before launch. We can coordinate an independent penetration test if your industry requires one.
Free quote
Tell us about your app
A senior engineer reads your brief and replies within 24 hours with questions and a fixed-scope estimate. No obligation and no sales sequence.
- Written, fixed-scope quote before any work starts
- You own the code, designs and accounts
- Typical apps from $4,999 CAD
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