What is backbone.js?

Backbone.js is a very light weight library especially when we look at its structure and wide range of functionalities it has to offer. It is built on JavaScript library and a RESTful JSON interface. Backbone framework is used for developing single page applications and helps you to manage your code in a clean and organized manner.

Backbone project are built on MVC (Model View Controller) design pattern. The Model consists of code of the application, the view holds data which is used by graphical user interface and Controller bridges the gap between model and view. While working with JavaScript it is very hard to structure the code and it becomes clumsy that is where Backbone comes handy. The model created with the backbone.js can easily be integrated with any backend. The model also has binds with RESTful API so the app can be configured directly for a delete, read and write operations by using API’s GET, POST and DELETE method.

There are many web applications which are using backbone, so here we bring you some of the backbone.js examples. Below is a list of 12 web apps which use backbone.js.



USA Today is an American newspaper for middle market and has been running since the year 1982. USA today is the widest circulated newspaper in USA. USA today’s website implements data lifecycle model of backbone.js to keep the code in a structured format so that it becomes efficient to use. It also uses backbone router to control pages for browsers.

Also Check: JavaScript Framework Showdown: Which Should You Use?



Pandora is a music streaming service which is available in USA, Australia and NewZeland. The service provided has two subscription plans: one is free one supported by advertisements and other is fee based without any ads. Pandora changed the look of their site by using HTML5 and they used backbone.js to manage the whole interface.



Animoto produces professional videos on its cloud based service using video clips, photos and music. It was founded in 2006 with a vision to improve the poor video quality found on the internet. They believe that video is the most powerful medium to communicate and this platform gives a chance to create professional videos regardless of your technical skills, Animoto has efficiently used the technology for developing backbone.js applications like video editor.

Also See: 7 Good Reasons to use MEAN Stack in your next web project



SupportBee provides you an easy option to manage your customer support emails. It has same look and feel as Gmail so it does not take you much time to get familiar with it. It brings different teams on one platform and helps to improve efficiency. The whole frontend is developed using backbone.js.



Planbox is an agile project management tool which is meant for anyone and which all teams can share. This tool is an excellent choice to bring all the teams to one platform and bridging the gap between them.It has a unique four level structure which provides flexibility to all. It is one of the backbone.js applications which is built entirely using this technology.



Trello is a collaboration tool which provides you flexibility and a way to organize your projects. It uses drag and drop cars to display the progress. Every information can be seen by just going through the board. Using trello you can upload files from your local machine, DropBox, Box, OneDrive and Google Drive.

Also Read: 9 Minimal Frameworks for Front-End JavaScript Development



Bitbucket is a hosting service for the projects built on Mercurial and Git. The user can choose either free plan or the commercial one. The free accounts can have any number of free repositories they want. Bitbucket started its journey as an independent startup but was acquired by Atlassian in 2010.



Soundcloud is an audio distribution platform which allows user to record, upload, and promote their sound track. It is headquartered at Berlin, Germany and is used by 175 million users monthly. If the users have registered for sound cloud they can listen to unlimited content and are allowed to upload 180 minutes of content.



BaseCamp is a highly in demand project management tool which is of a great help in an organization for managing projects. Basecamp came into existence in the year 1999 and was known as 37signals. Basecamp has a very strong support team which answers your queries within 3 minutes and work round the clock to make this product a success.

Must See: How Node.js is changing the way we use JavaScript



Hulu supports ad streaming which offers clips, movies, TV shows and much more as a part of its service. Currently hulu provides its services only in United States and is working on expanding its reach all over the globe. Hulu was announced on March 2007 and was opened for public access one year later after thorough testing.



Countly is an all in one platform which provide features such as analytics, notifications, crash reports, user profiles, attribution tracking, segmentation and many more. It is one of the leading platforms of world which track more than 600 million identities. It track apps for all the leading platforms like iOS, Android and Windows.

Also Check: 18 Resources on ES6 for JavaScript Developers



Airbnb provides a platform where you can find, list and rent temporary accommodation. It was founded in 2008 and has grown rapidly with a dense network which covers 34,000 cities and 190 countries. The wish list feature of website was built using backbone technology and they also shared their thoughts on full stack rich JS applications.

Backbone.js is always an enhancement, as it modularizes the JavaScript model into reusable component. As the technology is gaining popularity there are lots of backbone.js tutorials available in the market. These tutorials guide you towards better learning so that you can use all the features of backbone to your advantage. So after going through the list of this web apps you must have realized the power of Backbone.js.

Are you also looking to explore Backbone.js; then you must have something to add to this list. Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know of some appealing web apps built on backbone.js.