SashiDo vs Self-Hosted Parse Server
Both run Parse Server—but the operational burden is night and day
Self-hosting Parse Server gives you complete control and can be cost-effective at scale. Many developers start this way.
However, many self-hosters migrate to SashiDo to eliminate DevOps overhead, get automatic scaling and monitoring, access 24/7 expert support, and focus on features instead of infrastructure. If you're tired of managing servers, databases, backups, and security patches, SashiDo might be the better fit.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
An honest look at how SashiDo and Self-Hosted Parse Server stack up
Infrastructure & Operations
Support & Documentation
Features & Capabilities
Cost & Pricing
Developer Experience
Note: We've done our best to present accurate information based on publicly available data and customer feedback. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know.
The Real Cost of Self-Hosting Parse Server
Calculate what self-hosting actually costs vs. SashiDo's managed service
Tell us about your app
Self-Hosted Total Cost
Cost Breakdown:
SashiDo Managed Service
Everything Included:
- Fully managed infrastructure
- 24/7 monitoring & support
- Automatic scaling
- Daily backups
- Security patches
- Zero DevOps required
Beyond Cost: Time & Peace of Mind
Engineering time spent on DevOps per month
With SashiDo - focus 100% on your product
Not Sure Where You Stand? See Real-World Scenarios
If the calculator doesn't fully capture your situation, explore these real stories from 700+ companies who switched from self-hosting to SashiDo
We're a small team - our developers can handle it
You're a startup with 2-5 developers. Everyone wears multiple hats. "How hard can it be to maintain a Parse Server?" you think.
"I'll just update the server packages quickly"
"Production database running slow? I'll investigate"
"Security vulnerability? I'll patch it this weekend"
"Traffic spike at 2 AM? I'll debug it"
"Why haven't we shipped Feature X yet?"
3 hours debugging dependency conflicts
Half day investigating query performance
Weekend spent patching and testing
Server crashes, customers wait while you debug
You spent 20% of sprint on infrastructure
Real Cost: 5 developers spending ~20 hours/month each on infrastructure (updates, monitoring, security, scaling, backups, troubleshooting) = 100 hours not building your product. At $60/hour = $0/month. Plus the opportunity cost of delayed features.
We hired a part-time DevOps contractor
You're growing. You hired someone for 10 hours/week to "handle the infrastructure stuff." Finally, developers can focus on features, right?
Contractor sets up better monitoring
Database maintenance handled
Infrastructure improvements
Parse Server expertise on call
Developers can focus on features
2 AM: Database full, contractor unavailable, your dev paged
Refactoring needs your team's review time
Complex Parse issues beyond contractor's knowledge
Contractor vacation = two weeks flying blind
Devs still spend 5-10h/month on emergencies
Real Cost: ~40 hours/month at $75/hour = $3,000/month. Plus your developers still spend 5-10 hours/month on infrastructure emergencies and coordination.
We need a full-time DevOps engineer
You're serious now. You hire a full-time DevOps engineer. This should solve everything... right?
Professional infrastructure management
Dedicated person for all server issues
Developers finally free to build features
Someone who knows what they're doing
Problem solved forever
2-3 months hiring + onboarding
$100K-150K/year + 30% benefits = $10K-12K/month
Only one person knows everything (bus factor)
Vacation = you need backup ($240K for two)
Year 1: Better offer comes, start hiring again
Real Cost: One full-time DevOps engineer = ~$10K-12K/month. For proper 24/7 coverage (3 engineers in rotation) = $30K-36K/month. That's before infrastructure costs.
The Costs Nobody Talks About (But Everyone Pays)
These costs don't show up on your AWS bill, but they're very real:
The 2 AM wake-up call
Server down, customers angry, you're Googling error messages in your pajamas. Weekend ruined.
The delayed feature launch
"We'll ship next week" turns into "next month" because someone needs to fix database replication. Your competitor ships faster.
The "only Sarah knows" problem
Sarah can't go on vacation because she's the only one who understands the infrastructure. Sarah is burned out.
The scaling surprise
Your app goes viral! Except servers crash. You're down for 4 hours. 1000 users leave bad reviews. Viral moment = lost customers.
The security scare
New vulnerability announced Friday at 5 PM. Your weekend = patching, testing, deploying, hoping nothing breaks.
The technical debt spiral
"I'll fix this properly later" becomes "I can't remember how this works" six months later. Everything takes longer.
Ask yourself: How many features could you ship if you never thought about servers again?
The SashiDo Alternative: What If Infrastructure Just... Worked?
Here's what changes when you stop managing servers and start building products:
"I'll fix the scaling issue after lunch" (it takes all week)
"Who's on call this weekend?" (it's always you)
"Why is the database slow?" (3 hours of investigation)
"We can't ship yet, servers aren't ready"
"Anyone know how to restore from backup?" (panic mode)
"App went viral! Did we scale?" "Yes, automatically."
"Who's on call?" "SashiDo is. Always."
"Database slow?" "Our team already optimized it."
"Ship whenever you want" (we handle the deployment)
"Daily tested backups" (restore in minutes if needed)
No 2 AM wake-up calls - Ever
No hiring DevOps - We're your team
No "Sarah knows" problem - We all know
No emergency weekends - We handle it
No scaling surprises - Auto-scaling built-in
No security panic - Patches applied ASAP
Real talk: For the cost of one junior developer, you get a team of Parse Server experts, battle-tested infrastructure, and zero infrastructure headaches. Your team ships 100+ hours more features every month. Your nights and weekends are yours again.
Is self-hosting "cheaper"? On paper, maybe. In reality? Ask the 700+ companies who switched to SashiDo and never looked back.
Ready to Get Started?
Start your 10-day free trial today. No credit card required.
Why Developers Switch from Self-Hosted Parse Server to SashiDo
These are the most common reasons our customers cite for making the move
Zero DevOps Overhead
Stop spending time on server maintenance, security patches, and infrastructure management. We handle all the operational burden so you can focus 100% on building features your users love.
Automatic Scaling & Monitoring
Your app scales automatically based on traffic. No more late-night emergencies from server crashes or database issues. We monitor 24/7 and handle scaling for you.
Expert Parse Server Support
Get help from Parse Server experts who've seen it all. Average 4-6 hour response times from senior engineers who can solve complex issues quickly—no more solo debugging sessions.
Automated Backups & Recovery
Daily automated backups with point-in-time recovery. Sleep better knowing your data is safe and recoverable. No more manual backup scripts or recovery procedures to maintain.
Enterprise Infrastructure
Battle-tested infrastructure powering 700+ companies. 99.8%+ uptime, automatic failover, and enterprise-grade security—without the enterprise complexity or cost.
Seamless Migration
Migrate from your self-hosted setup with zero downtime. We've migrated 4000+ Parse Server instances and know exactly how to make the transition smooth and risk-free.
Is Self-Hosting right for you?
Self-hosting Parse Server gives you complete control and can work well if you have dedicated DevOps resources. However, many self-hosters migrate to SashiDo to eliminate operational overhead, get automatic scaling and monitoring, access expert support 24/7, and focus on building features instead of managing infrastructure.
Consider SashiDo if you:
Companies that switched from Self-Hosted Parse Server to SashiDo
Here's what developers are saying about their migration experience
Vlad
iOS Dev @ producthunt.com
Focus on the product, SashiDo handle the rest.
Kasper Tornoe
CEO @ swipesapp.com
Great support team!
Finn Larsen
Co-founder and CTO @ mustache.dk
It's really simple for both migration and new projects.
Karl Dunkelman
Production Manager @ lightmaker.com
to fit the needs of a variety of mobile applications that we build at Lightmaker.
Faisal Shah
Technical lead @ merchantaccountsolutions.com
Their File Migration Tool was the core reason I got hooked up with them immediately.
They Know their STUFF!
Vlad
iOS Dev @ producthunt.com
Focus on the product, SashiDo handle the rest.
Kasper Tornoe
CEO @ swipesapp.com
Great support team!
Finn Larsen
Co-founder and CTO @ mustache.dk
It's really simple for both migration and new projects.
Karl Dunkelman
Production Manager @ lightmaker.com
to fit the needs of a variety of mobile applications that we build at Lightmaker.
Faisal Shah
Technical lead @ merchantaccountsolutions.com
Their File Migration Tool was the core reason I got hooked up with them immediately.
They Know their STUFF!
Muhamad Jawdat Akoum
Technical Manager and Software Engineer @ mojo-tribe.com
Sashido gives priority to its clients and their needs.
They are very active and responsive to their tickets, hence they are continuously improving.
Scott Carr
CEO & Co-Founder @ scancandyapp.com
I strongly urge you to move to SashiDo. They truly care about your business.
Claes Jacobsson
Founder @ lookmark.io
and has been running like clockwork for our users around the globe ever since.
The support team is super responsive!
Emre Memis
Mobile Developer @ Sayko, Inc.
especially for mobile application developers!
Thanks SashiDo!
Muhamad Jawdat Akoum
Technical Manager and Software Engineer @ mojo-tribe.com
Sashido gives priority to its clients and their needs.
They are very active and responsive to their tickets, hence they are continuously improving.
Scott Carr
CEO & Co-Founder @ scancandyapp.com
I strongly urge you to move to SashiDo. They truly care about your business.
Claes Jacobsson
Founder @ lookmark.io
and has been running like clockwork for our users around the globe ever since.
The support team is super responsive!
Emre Memis
Mobile Developer @ Sayko, Inc.
especially for mobile application developers!
Thanks SashiDo!
Ready to Make the Switch?
Join 700+ companies that trust SashiDo to power their Parse Server applications
Migration Assistance
Migrate your way.
Do it yourself for free, or let our expert team handle everything for you—zero downtime, zero hassle.
Zero Downtime
Keep your users happy.
Your app stays fully operational throughout the migration. They won't even notice the switch.
60-Day Guarantee
Try risk-free.
If SashiDo doesn't meet your needs, we'll refund your subscription—no questions asked.
Common Migration Questions
How long does migration take?
Most migrations from self-hosted Parse Server to SashiDo are completed within 24-48 hours. The exact timeline depends on your database size and configuration complexity, but our team has migrated 4000+ Parse Server instances and knows exactly how to make it smooth.
Will there be any downtime?
No! We use a zero-downtime migration strategy. Your app continues running on your self-hosted setup while we sync everything to SashiDo. We only switch over when everything is ready, tested, and you give the green light.
Do I need technical knowledge to migrate?
Not at all! Our migration team handles all the technical work for you. We'll guide you through the simple steps you need to take, but we do the heavy lifting.
What if I'm not happy with SashiDo?
We offer a 60-day money-back guarantee. If SashiDo doesn't meet your needs within the first 60 days, we'll refund your subscription fees (excluding usage overages and custom services).