Articles
- The simplest backend and hosting for apps you build with Codex or Cursor (2026)
What a web app built with Codex or Cursor needs on the backend, the main ways to get a database, login and hosting, what each costs, and how to let the agent set it all up through MCP.
- What is a backend? A plain-English guide for people building with AI
What the backend of an app actually does, the six jobs it covers, how a single click travels through it, and how to describe one clearly to ChatGPT, Claude, Codex or Cursor.
- Row-level security explained: keeping each user’s data private
How row-level security works in Postgres, how to write policies that keep each user’s rows private, how Supabase and Firebase apply the same idea, and the mistakes that leak data.
- Sign-in options compared: email codes, magic links, passwords, Google
How email codes, magic links, passwords and Sign in with Google work, what current NIST and OWASP guidance says about each, and which combination suits a new app.
- Postgres vs Firebase vs MongoDB for a first app
How Postgres, Firebase’s Firestore and MongoDB store data, what the same small app looks like in each, how their free tiers and billing work, and which to pick for a first project.
- What is an MCP server, and how coding agents use them
What the Model Context Protocol is, what an MCP server exposes, how Claude Code, Cursor and Codex connect to one, what a tool call looks like on the wire, and how to use them safely.
- Webhooks explained: how apps talk to Stripe and other services
What a webhook is, how Stripe and GitHub deliver them, how to verify signatures, handle retries and duplicates, and build a payment webhook handler that doesn’t lose or double-count orders.
- Background jobs and cron: running work when nobody is online
What background jobs and cron schedules are, how to read a cron expression, how Vercel, GitHub Actions and Supabase run scheduled work, and how to write jobs that survive retries, overlaps and time zones.
- Best backend-as-a-service platforms (2026)
Seven backend-as-a-service platforms compared for people building apps with AI tools: what each does well, what to watch, and what it costs according to its own pricing page.
- Best MCP servers for building and deploying apps (2026)
Eight official MCP servers that let ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex and Cursor build, deploy and run real apps, with what each does well, what to watch, and what the underlying service costs.
- Floot vs Supabase: which backend for an AI-built app? (2026)
How Floot and Supabase differ in what they include, how AI agents use them, what they cost and how portable they are, with honest advice on when to pick each.