Question: Is there a cloud-based platform that offers a free plan and supports collaborative workflows for multiple team members to build and deploy backends quickly?

If you're looking for a cloud-based platform that supports collaborative workflows and offers a free plan, BuildShip is a great option. It's a low-code visual backend builder that uses AI to rapidly create workflows, APIs, scheduled jobs and cloud functions. BuildShip also comes with features like a built-in Firestore database, unlimited cloud storage, secret manager and support for more than 1 million NPM packages. BuildShip is geared for developers and teams who want to rapidly develop and deploy scalable backend solutions. It offers flexible pricing tiers, including a free plan that doesn't require a credit card.

Another option worth considering is Backendless. This low-code app builder provides a full range of tools to create high-performance apps quickly. That includes a visual UI builder, codeless logic for frontend tasks and direct API integration for easy data handling. Backendless supports real-time databases, has 18+ third-party authentication options and offers flexible deployment options including serverless and self-hosted options. The platform also integrates with popular services like FlutterFlow, Bubble.io and Zapier, and offers free plan options.

If you're looking for a serverless backend option, check out Koxy AI. It lets developers create fast, secure and scalable backends without writing any code. Koxy AI uses a globally distributed, no-SQL JSON-based database with real-time support and peer-to-peer data synchronization. It also offers AI-powered API integration, cloud functions and team collaboration support. A free plan is available, though it's limited, but it's a good way to get started.

Last is Supabase, an open-source Firebase alternative that offers a Postgres database, user authentication, instant APIs, real-time subscriptions, storage and vector embeddings. It supports frameworks like Next.js and Flutter and offers real-time data synchronization and a built-in SQL editor. Supabase offers a generous free tier with unlimited API requests, 50,000 monthly active users and 500 MB database space, making it a good option for building production-ready apps.