Horizon is a realtime, open-source backend platform for JavaScript apps.
Horizon addresses the complexity of building realtime applications by providing a complete backend that eliminates the need to manually orchestrate multiple systems across the stack. It runs on top of RethinkDB and exposes a simple API through a middleware server, with a JavaScript client library that wraps the protocol for front-end developers. The platform includes a streaming subscription API for realtime data, authentication integration with common providers like Facebook and Google, an identity system for user account management, and a permissions model for data security. Developers can build sophisticated realtime apps directly from the browser without writing backend code initially, then incrementally add custom business logic as complexity grows.
Horizon suits teams building JavaScript web and mobile applications that require realtime capabilities but want to minimize backend infrastructure work. It integrates with the Node.js stack and works with modern front-end frameworks. The platform is designed to reduce the learning curve and boilerplate code typically required for realtime systems. The README indicates that GraphQL support is planned as a future addition to enable React and Relay development without initial backend code.
The project maintains an active development roadmap with several services planned beyond the initial release, including session management, geolocation APIs, presence detection, a plugin system for custom extensions, and a backend protocol for integrating custom server-side code. The repository includes a contributing guide and actively solicits community involvement in building the platform.
