For side projects & MVPs
Host a small API without managing servers.
Deploy small APIs and webhook handlers without cloud infrastructure. Perfect for indie hackers and weekend builds: no server setup, no DevOps overhead, no console maze.
Best for
MVP backends
Common tasks
CRUD + webhooks
Avoid
DevOps detours
The MVP killer
“Three hours later…” and you still have no endpoint.
You start building. Then the backend starts demanding VPS research, Nginx config, SSL certificates, firewalls, and deployment scripts. This is how side projects die: not because you can't code, but because infrastructure steals your momentum.
The MVP speed problem
Time is your most expensive resource.
Every hour spent configuring servers is an hour not spent validating your idea. Traditional infrastructure optimizes for scale you don't have yet, and complexity you don't need yet.
Small projects need small infrastructure.
Where your time goes
The goal isn't “never use AWS.” The goal is to avoid paying an infrastructure tax before your first user exists.
Definition
What “small backend” actually means
Not lines of code—scope. A few endpoints. Simple operations. Moderate traffic. Clear boundaries.
SaaS MVP authentication
Signup, login, reset password. Three endpoints. A few secrets.
Mobile app data API
Sync across devices, preferences, simple CRUD. Not a distributed system.
Chrome extension backend
Store settings + proxy requests to hide API keys. Two functions.
Internal dashboard
Aggregate Stripe + analytics + DB into JSON for your UI.
The usual path
How cloud complexity kills MVPs
The standard advice starts simple and ends in tooling tutorials. By step three, you're in docs—again.
AWS isn't “bad.” It's just a semi‑truck for moving a couch.
LoveKit approach
API-first simplicity: write the handler, deploy, get an endpoint, use it in your app.
- 1Write your function
- 2Deploy it
- 3Get an API endpoint
- 4Use it in your app
Setup time
Minutes, not hours
Focus
Product logic
Real examples
Small backend, big leverage
Pick a common MVP scenario and see what “small backend” actually looks like in practice.
SaaS MVP authentication backend
Signup, login, reset password. Three endpoints. A few secrets. Zero reason to build a deployment platform first.
Traditional
4–8 hours setup
Setup & wiring before you touch product logic.
LoveKit
≈ 30 minutes
Handlers → deploy → endpoints. Stay in flow.
What you ship
POST /api/register
Create user + send verify email
POST /api/login
Verify creds + return token
POST /api/reset-password
Issue reset + email link
Avoid the trap
Complexity is a tax on iteration.
A common pattern: a developer starts building a simple app, reads about “best practices,” spends months on containers and orchestration, and never ships.
LoveKit removes the tax: you write business logic, the platform handles execution.
Overengineering loop
- 1Start building a simple app
- 2Discover “best practices” threads
- 3Add Docker / Kubernetes / CI/CD
- 4Spend weeks on infrastructure
- 5Never launch
When LoveKit is perfect (and when to graduate)
You’re validating an MVP
Deploy backend logic fast, iterate based on feedback, and scale later if needed.
You’re solo (no DevOps bandwidth)
Build great products without becoming a systems administrator.
The backend is essential but not the differentiator
Your value is the UX and feature set—the backend just needs to work.
You want to test ideas without infrastructure costs
Avoid paying for always-on servers while you’re still learning if users care.
Graduate when it matters
As your project grows, you might need things like multi-region deployment, deep cloud integrations (S3/RDS), advanced networking, or strict compliance requirements. That's the right time to invest in traditional infrastructure.
Until then: keep the backend simple and ship the product.
Real stories
Developers don't want infra homework.
“I spent two weeks trying to get Lambda + API Gateway working. IAM policies made my head hurt. I switched to LoveKit and had my backend running in an afternoon.”
“I just wanted my bot to respond to commands. I didn’t want to learn AWS. LoveKit gave me an endpoint. My bot works. That’s all I needed.”
“My backend is literally five functions. They fetch data from APIs and return JSON. With LoveKit, I don’t think about infrastructure. I just deploy and move on.”
Cognitive load advantage
Decisions should happen when they matter.
Traditional clouds force dozens of decisions before you write business logic. For a side project, that overhead prevents you from shipping.
LoveKit keeps it simple: deploy working code now. Scale later when the complexity is justified.
Decisions you can skip (for now)
Idea → production
From idea to production in one afternoon
10:00
Idea + sketch features
11:00
Write handler logic
12:00
Deploy + get endpoint
14:00
Build UI + ship MVP
Most of that time should be writing your product—not fighting cloud services.
Frequently asked questions
Is this only for side projects?
It's optimized for MVPs, side projects, and small teams—but “small backend” shows up inside bigger products too. The key question is whether you need deep cloud plumbing right now.
Can I use LoveKit for webhook handlers?
Yes. Webhooks are a perfect fit because they’re isolated, event-driven, and need reliable logging. See Webhooks & Bots for patterns.
When do I need to graduate to AWS/Azure/GCP?
When you need multi-region deployment, strict compliance, advanced networking, or deep integrations with cloud-native services. Until then, staying simple is an advantage.
Ready to turn your code into an API?
No credit card required. Deploy your first function in under a minute.