Backend Development

Is this the right service for you?

It usually is when one of these describes you:

• A product that needs a database, API and business logic behind its interface
• A company connecting several systems that do not talk to each other
• An application that has grown slow, fragile or expensive to run
• A team that needs an API for a mobile app, partners or internal tools

What's included

• Data model design based on your real workflows
• Secure REST or GraphQL API development
• Authentication, roles, and permission handling
• Third-party and payment integrations
• Database setup, indexing, and query tuning
• Automated tests on core logic and endpoints
• Logging and monitoring for early problem detection
• Deployment pipelines with staging and production

Where the scope line sits

Fixed prices depend on clear boundaries. The left column is what a standard quote for this service covers; the right column is work we can add, but which is priced on its own.

Covered by a standard quote	Priced separately
Data model design from your real workflows	Frontend or mobile interfaces (see frontend development)
REST or GraphQL API design and build	Legacy data cleanup before migration
Authentication, authorization and validation	Cloud hosting, database and API fees
Agreed third-party and payment integrations	Formal penetration testing (we can coordinate a third party)
Automated tests on core logic and endpoints	Ongoing operations beyond the warranty (a support plan)
Deployment pipeline, environments, logging and monitoring	Machine learning or data science work

How we approach it

1. Model. We design the database around the entities, relationships and rules in your business, not around screens. Output: a reviewed data model.
2. Design the API. We define endpoints, contracts, error handling and versioning so frontend and partners can build in parallel. Output: API documentation.
3. Build. We implement endpoints and business logic in small, tested pieces, with validation and permissions on every route. Output: a working API on staging.
4. Secure and harden. We add authentication, rate limiting, audit logging, secrets management and dependency checks. Output: a security review checklist, completed.
5. Deploy and monitor. We set up pipelines, staging and production environments, backups, logging and alerts. Output: a production system with a runbook.

What lands in your hands at the end

• Source in a Git repository you own
• Data model and API documentation
• Automated tests and a CI pipeline
• Infrastructure as configuration and a deployment runbook
• Monitoring dashboards and alert rules
• A defect warranty period on the delivered work

REST, GraphQL, serverless or a monolith?

Architecture choices should follow the shape of your data and team, not fashion.

Approach	Choose it when
REST API on Node.js	Most applications: predictable, cacheable, easy for partners and mobile apps to consume.
GraphQL	Front ends that need flexible queries across many related entities, with a team able to manage the schema.
Serverless functions	Spiky or low-volume workloads, integrations and event-driven jobs where you pay per use.
Modular monolith	A single product with one team: simplest to run, easy to split later if scale demands it.

Technologies we use

• Node.js
• TypeScript
• PostgreSQL
• Prisma
• REST APIs
• GraphQL
• Redis
• Docker
• AWS

What moves the price

There is no rate card for this service because the range is too wide to be honest about in one number. After a free call you get a fixed quote; these are the inputs that decide it.

• Number of entities and relationships. More tables, rules and history mean more modeling, endpoints and tests.
• Integrations. Each external system brings authentication, limits, retries and sandbox testing.
• Security and compliance requirements. Audit trails, encryption at rest, data residency and reviews add engineering time.
• Performance and scale targets. Indexing, caching, queues and load testing are extra work for high-traffic systems.
• Reporting. Aggregations and exports across large datasets need careful query design.

The pricing page explains how we scope and quote. To get a written estimate, describe the project on the contact page.

Typical timeline

A backend for a focused application takes 4 to 8 weeks. Systems with many integrations or strict compliance run 3 to 6 months.

• Requirement stability.
• Sandbox access for integrations.
• Legacy data migration.
• Compliance review cycles.

What can go wrong, and how we prevent it

• Data model that cannot grow. We model from workflows and review the design before any endpoint is built.
• Insecure endpoints. Authentication, permissions and validation on every route, plus dependency scanning and a pre-launch review.
• No visibility in production. Structured logging, error tracking and alerts are part of scope, not an afterthought.

An illustrative example

Illustrative only. A subscription box company needs a backend for customer accounts, plans, shipments and a warehouse integration, plus an API for a future mobile app. Modeling and API design take two weeks, the build five, hardening and deployment one: about eight weeks to production.

Why choose us

• Data models built for how your business actually works
• Secure APIs with auth and validation from the start
• Tested code that holds up as traffic grows
• Monitoring that catches issues before users do
• Clear docs so any developer can extend the system