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bknd-io

bknd-io/bknd

A lightweight, self-hostable backend with database, auth, media and workflows, built on Web Standards to run across many runtimes and frameworks.

Open-source alternative to:FirebaseSupabase

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What is it?

bknd is a backend system for app developers who want database management, authentication, media storage and workflows without running several separate services. It ships a visual admin UI for managing data and configuration, plus a REST API and a TypeScript SDK with React hooks for calling it from frontend code.

It is built exclusively on the WinterTC Minimum Common Web Platform API, so the same backend can run on Node.js, Bun, Deno, Cloudflare Workers, Vercel, Netlify, AWS Lambda and in the browser. Functionality is modular and opt-in, and infrastructure is adapter-based: SQLite (LibSQL, D1, Bun SQLite and others) and Postgres (Supabase, Neon, Xata) are supported as databases, and S3, R2, Cloudinary or the filesystem for storage.

bknd can be served standalone via the CLI with `npx bknd run`, or mounted inside frameworks such as Next.js, React Router and Astro so frontend and backend deploy together. It is still under active development and does not yet guarantee backward compatibility before v1.0.0, and it requires Node.js 22.13 or higher.

Key features

  • 01Visual admin UI for managing data, configuration and users
  • 02REST API with an OpenAPI-based interface and a type-safe TypeScript SDK
  • 03Built-in authentication, media management and workflow modules, all opt-in
  • 04Runs standalone via CLI or embedded in frameworks like Next.js and Astro
  • 05Adapter-based database and storage support, including Postgres, SQLite and S3

Use cases

  • Adding a hosted or embedded CMS to a React or Next.js frontend
  • Storing state and data for AI agent backends with an MCP server
  • Building a prototype or MVP that needs auth, storage and a database quickly
  • Deploying a small API to Cloudflare Workers or AWS Lambda without vendor lock-in

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install the package from npm

    npm install bknd
  2. 2

    Spin up a standalone instance with the CLI

    npx bknd run

Things to know

  • Requires Node.js 22.13 or higher because it depends on node:sqlite.
  • Still under active development, so backward compatibility is not guaranteed before v1.0.0.

Topics

#backend#baas#typescript#sqlite#postgres#authentication#headless-cms#serverless

FAQ

What is bknd?
A lightweight, self-hostable backend with database, auth, media and workflows, built on Web Standards to run across many runtimes and frameworks. bknd is a backend system for app developers who want database management, authentication, media storage and workflows without running several separate services. It ships a visual admin UI for managing data and configuration, plus a REST API and a TypeScript SDK with React hooks for calling it from frontend code.
Is bknd free to use? What license does it have?
bknd is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is bknd still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to bknd was on Sep 24, 2026.
What can I use bknd for?
Adding a hosted or embedded CMS to a React or Next.js frontend Storing state and data for AI agent backends with an MCP server Building a prototype or MVP that needs auth, storage and a database quickly Deploying a small API to Cloudflare Workers or AWS Lambda without vendor lock-in
How do I install bknd?
Install the package from npm: npm install bknd Spin up a standalone instance with the CLI: npx bknd run
Where can I get bknd?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/bknd-io/bknd

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