Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Conduit?
Conduit is a self-hosted Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform. It provides ready-made backend modules (authentication, database, storage, etc.) while remaining fully customizable and extensible.
How is Conduit different from Firebase/Parse?
- Self-hosted - Full control over your data and infrastructure
- Extensible - Build custom modules in any gRPC-compatible language
- No vendor lock-in - Your code, your servers
- Microservice architecture - Scale and deploy modules independently
Is Conduit free?
Yes, Conduit is open-source and free to use under the Apache 2.0 license.
Technical
What databases are supported?
- MongoDB (recommended)
- PostgreSQL
What language is Conduit written in?
Conduit is primarily written in TypeScript/Node.js, but custom modules can be written in any language supporting gRPC.
Can I use Conduit with my existing database?
Yes! Use the Database Introspection feature to import existing database schemas.
Does Conduit support GraphQL?
Yes, all REST endpoints are automatically available via GraphQL as well.
How do I scale Conduit?
Each module is a separate microservice that can be:
- Scaled independently
- Deployed across multiple servers
- Load balanced
Deployment
Can I deploy to Kubernetes?
Yes, Helm charts are available for Kubernetes deployment.
What are the minimum requirements?
- Docker and Docker Compose
- Redis (for session/cache)
- MongoDB or PostgreSQL
How do I backup my data?
Backup your database (MongoDB/PostgreSQL) using standard database backup tools. Configuration is stored in the database.
Development
How do I create a custom module?
- Use the TypeScript gRPC SDK, or
- Use proto files to build in any gRPC-compatible language
- Connect to Conduit Core
- Register routes and schemas
Can I modify existing modules?
Yes, all modules are open-source. Fork and modify as needed, or create replacement modules.
How do I contribute?
- Read Contributing Guide
- Check GitHub issues
- Join Discord for discussion
- Submit pull requests
Support
Where can I get help?
How do I report bugs?
Open an issue on GitHub with:
- Conduit version
- Steps to reproduce
- Expected vs actual behavior
- Relevant logs