TrailBase

TrailBase is an open-source, self-hosted backend-as-a-service application that provides type-safe REST and realtime APIs. It is distributed as a single executable, which simplifies deployment by removing the need for multiple dependencies or shared-library management. The software is designed to serve as a backend for mobile, web, or desktop applications, allowing developers to manage data and users without configuring separate API layers.

Users can deploy the software as a standalone binary on Linux, MacOS, or Windows, or run it via a Docker image. Upon initial startup, the system bootstraps a local data folder and creates an admin user with credentials printed to the terminal. Management is handled through a web-based admin dashboard, and additional UI components, such as an authentication interface, can be added as WebAssembly modules using the built-in component system.

Key features

• Single executable deployment for reduced infrastructure complexity
• Type-safe REST and realtime APIs
• Built-in authentication and admin user interface
• WebAssembly runtime for extensible server-side logic
• Support for SQLite and experimental Postgres integration
• Geospatial data support
• Server-side rendering capabilities
• Multi-database support

The architecture is built using Rust, Wasmtime, and SQLite to achieve sub-millisecond latencies. It utilizes a WebAssembly runtime to allow for custom server-side logic and extensibility without requiring modifications to the core binary. The system is intended for developers who require a low-code backend infrastructure with integrated authentication and data management. To facilitate integration with various frontend frameworks, the project provides client libraries across multiple programming languages.

TrailBase is licensed under the Open Software License 3.0, which is designed to ensure that modifications to the core software remain open while allowing application code to remain separate. The associated client libraries are dual licensed under the permissive Apache-2.0 license.