head to head · open source
parse-server vs NoKV
parse-server has 21,400 GitHub stars, 4,810 forks, 561 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. NoKV has 505 stars, 61 forks, 24 open issues and last shipped yesterday. parse-server leads on adoption by 4,138% (21,400 vs 505 stars). parse-server is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0; NoKV is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. parse-server has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, NoKV 12%. NoKV was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| parse-server | NoKV | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 21K | ★ 505 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.8K | ⑂ 61 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick parse-server if
- You weight community size — 21K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick NoKV if
- You want the NoKV feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and NoKV fits your workflow better
About parse-server
Parse Server is an open source backend, built for Node.js and the Express web application framework, that can be deployed to any infrastructure able to run Node.js and that serves applications written against the Parse Platform.
read the full parse-server overview →
About NoKV
NoKV is the state layer for agent sandboxes: a Rust, Apache 2.0 system that keeps declared inputs, code, outputs, logs, and lineage alive after a disposable agent sandbox disappears, built for teams running agent and AI for science pipelines that need durable, versioned, replayable workspaces.
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Frequently asked questions
Is parse-server or NoKV more popular?
parse-server has 21,400 GitHub stars and NoKV has 505. parse-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are parse-server and NoKV free?
Both are open source. parse-server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and NoKV under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between parse-server and NoKV?
parse-server is written in JavaScript and NoKV in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, parse-server or NoKV?
Choose parse-server if you want the larger community (21,400 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose NoKV if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.