Backdoor: database editing tool for team

Features

Designed to replace admin dashboard

Modern and easy-to-use UI

Backdoor offers modern UI that focuses on querying and editing data. Scrolling through millions of rows is a breeze.

User Management

Add and edit users in a few clicks. Let your team edit data quickly and securely.

Safe & Secure

Strong security measures e.g. captcha and temp password during onboard. Every action is tracked and can be audited.

Fine-grained access policies

Configure what can be edited, who can edit, which table, and much more within a few clicks.

Installation

Backdoor is in the beta stage. We'd like to work with you closely to make you use it successfully. Please enter your email to see the installation instructions.

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Please proceed with the installation instructions below.

Using Docker

Recommended. Heroku, Render.com, Dokploy, and other cloud providers often support Docker.

The latest docker image is: tanin47/backdoor:web-2.7.0. You can run the below command:

docker run -p 9999:9999 \ --entrypoint "" \ --pull always \ tanin47/backdoor:web-latest \ java -jar backdoor.jar \ -port 9999 \ -url [DATABASE_URLS] \ -secret-key [SECRET_KEY] \ -user [ADMIN_USER_AND_PASSWORD]

Here is the explanation for each option:

[DATABASE_URLS] are JDBC database URLs separated by commas.
[SECRET_KEY] is a secret key that is used for encrypting cookies.
[ADMIN_USER_AND_PASSWORD] is a super admin username and password in the format of username:password (the username and password is separated by colon). We recommend setting it only when you want to configure users.

Here's an example:

docker run -p 9999:9999 \ --entrypoint "" \ --pull always \ tanin47/backdoor:web-latest \ java -jar backdoor.jar \ -port 9999 \ -url "postgres://dbuser:[email protected]:5432/backdoor_test" \ -secret-key SbZlbmJIXh \ -user test_user:test_pass

Running the standalone JAR file

This option is for the scenario where you already have a JVM on your machine.

You can download the latest JAR file from Maven Central and run the below command:

java -jar backdoor-2.8.0.jar \ -port 9999 \ -url [DATABASE_URLS] \ -secret-key [SECRET_KEY] \ -user [ADMIN_USER_AND_PASSWORD]

Here is the explanation for each option:

[DATABASE_URLS] are JDBC database URLs separated by commas.
[SECRET_KEY] is a secret key that is used for encrypting cookies.
[ADMIN_USER_AND_PASSWORD] is a super admin username and password in the format of username:password (the username and password is separated by colon). We recommend setting it only when you want to configure users.

Here's an example:

java -jar backdoor-2.8.0.jar \ -port 9999 \ -url "postgres://dbuser:[email protected]:5432/backdoor_test" \ -secret-key SbZlbmJIXh \ -user test_user:test_pass

Deploying on Render.com or Heroku

Heroku, Render.com, Dokploy, and other cloud providers often support Docker.

Render.com's blueprint is provided below as an example:

services: - type: web name: backdoor plan: free runtime: image image: url: docker.io/tanin47/backdoor:web-latest dockerCommand: java -jar backdoor.jar -port $PORT -url $DATABASE_URL -secret-key $SECRET_KEY -user $USER_CONFIG healthCheckPath: /healthcheck envVars: - key: PORT value: 9999 - key: DATABASE_URL fromDatabase: name: backdoor-postgres-for-testing-2 property: connectionString # IMPORTANT: Delete and move it to the Render dashboard for security purposes - key: SECRET_KEY value: SbZlbmJIXh # IMPORTANT: Delete and move it to the Render dashboard for security purposes - key: USER_CONFIG value: test_user:test_pass autoDeploy: true databases: - name: backdoor-postgres-for-testing-2 plan: free

Embedding into a JVM app

This options is great if you already have a JVM app running on your machine because it doesn't require a separate instance to run Backdoor.

First, add the JAR dependency to your project:

<dependency> <groupId>io.github.tanin47</groupId> <artifactId>backdoor</artifactId> <version>2.8.0</version> </dependency>

Then, initialize Backdoor when your Java application starts:

var server = new BackdoorServerBuilder() .addDatabaseConfig("postgres", "postgres://127.0.0.1:5432/backdoor_test", null, null) .addDatabaseConfig("clickhouse", "jdbc:ch://localhost:8123", "backdoor", "test_ch") .withPort(9999) .withSecretKey("SbZlbmJIXh") .addUser("test_user", "test_pass") .addUser("another_user", "another_pass") .build(); server.start();

Then, when your JVM application stops, make sure to stop Backdoor with:

server.stop();

Please consider starring the Github repo: github.com/tanin47/backdoor

Live Demo

The live demo is a database of events in Bangkok, Thailand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any question? please email us at: [email protected]

Is Backdoor free?

Backdoor is completely free, open-sourced, and self-hostable. There are multiple ways of hosting it: Docker, running the JAR file, embed into a JVM-based app, Render.com, and Heroku. Please see the installation section.

Since Backdoor is in the beta phase, we would love to be in contact with you to help you use it successfully. Please contact us at [email protected].

In what situation is Backdoor most suitable for?

When you are a small team, you'll face the dilemma of building an admin dashboard vs. accessing the database directly using tools like dbeaver.

Building an admin dashboard is costly. Accessing the database directly is insecure and not safe. The database tools like dbeaver and pgadmin are often clunky and can do too much.

Backdoor is the perfect middle ground. It supports user management, fine-grained access control, and the history of changes. Your team will be able to edit data in a more secure way.

What security measures are implemented in Backdoor?

Backdoor implements a proof-of-work captcha to deter brute force attacks and a temporary password mechanism during user onboarding to prevent leaked passwords.

As a former member of the Google Chrome security, I care deeply about security. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions and concerns.

2026 Backdoor. Made in Seattle and Bangkok.