Backend + APIs
We build the systems behind the UI. REST APIs, GraphQL, WebSocket / SSE, background-job processing, integrations with third-party services. Our SaaS line runs ~50 production endpoints in Rails (Outsourcing, Finance) and Node/TypeScript (HRS, Logistics, Leads, CMS) — same stack we recommend.
Concrete deliverables
- REST + GraphQL APIs — versioned, documented (OpenAPI), authenticated (OAuth2, JWT, API key).
- Background-job pipelines — Sidekiq, BullMQ, Celery; cron + scheduled jobs.
- Real-time features — WebSocket, Server-Sent Events, pub/sub via Redis or Kafka.
- Third-party integrations — Stripe, SendGrid, Twilio, DocuSign, Salesforce, HubSpot, Airtable.
- Webhook handling + retry — idempotency keys, dead-letter queues, replay tooling.
- Migrations — language migrations (Rails → Go, PHP → Node), framework upgrades (Rails 5→7, Node LTS), database migrations (MySQL → Postgres).
What we work with
We pick what fits your team. We don't push our preferences when your stack works.
Languages
Node.js + TypeScript (deepest) · Ruby on Rails · Python (FastAPI, Django) · Go · Java/Kotlin (Spring) · Elixir/Phoenix (specialised)
Databases
PostgreSQL (default) · MySQL · MongoDB · Redis · DynamoDB · ClickHouse
Queues + jobs
Sidekiq (Ruby) · BullMQ (Node) · Celery (Python) · RabbitMQ · Kafka · AWS SQS
API patterns
REST (default) · GraphQL · tRPC · gRPC (internal RPC) · WebSocket · SSE
ORMs
Prisma (TypeScript) · ActiveRecord (Rails) · SQLAlchemy (Python) · Drizzle (TypeScript)
Testing
Vitest, Jest (Node) · RSpec, Minitest (Ruby) · pytest (Python) · Postman/Bruno + automation
How we work
Discovery (1 week)
API contract design, data model, third-party integration mapping. Output: OpenAPI spec + ERD diagram.
Schema + scaffolding (1 week)
Database migrations, model layer, seed data, base auth. Nothing exposed to the world yet — but the foundation is testable.
Build endpoints (3-8 weeks)
Route by route, with tests. Sequence by dependency: read-only first, writes second, integrations third.
Production hardening
Rate limiting, observability, log aggregation, on-call runbooks. Postman/Bruno integration test suite for ongoing health checks.
From our own production
Merot Outsourcing API (Rails 7)
70+ controllers, JWT auth, Sidekiq for background jobs, Stripe + DocuSign + SendGrid integrations. Multi-product (admin / employer / employee) with role-based access.
Merot Logistics backend (Node + TS + Prisma)
Multi-tenant white-label SaaS — shipments, COD, GPS, BullMQ for background sync, Infobip SMS/WhatsApp integration.
Merot CMS (Node + TS + Prisma)
Headless content API serving merot.com + outsourcing blogs. Public read endpoints + admin write.
Nearshore delivery by buyer market
Country pages explain the trust, timezone, compliance and delivery questions buyers ask before choosing a software partner.
North Macedonia
Custom software development for Macedonian companies: web apps, mobile apps, cloud systems, AI automation and integrations from Merot's Skopje engineering teams.
Germany
Senior Balkan software teams for German companies: web, mobile, AI, cloud and integrations with EU timezone overlap, GDPR-aware delivery and DACH communication.
Austria
Nearshore web, mobile, cloud and AI engineering for Austrian SMEs and product teams. EU timezone, DACH communication, GDPR-aware delivery.
Netherlands
Senior React, mobile, backend, cloud and AI teams for Dutch SaaS and operations companies. English-first delivery, EU timezone and GDPR-aware workflows.
Switzerland
Senior Balkan software teams for Swiss companies: secure web, backend, cloud, AI and integrations with DACH communication and privacy-aware delivery.
Sweden
Nearshore web, mobile, backend, cloud and AI engineering for Swedish SaaS and operations teams. Senior delivery, EU timezone, clean handoff.
Denmark
Senior nearshore engineers for Danish product and operations teams: web, backend, mobile, cloud, AI and integrations with EU timezone overlap.
Ireland
Senior EU nearshore engineers for Irish SaaS, fintech and operations teams. Web, backend, mobile, AI and cloud delivery with English-first collaboration.
United States
Senior European software engineers for US companies: custom web apps, mobile apps, backend systems, cloud, AI workflows and integrations with practical US overlap.
Canada
Custom web, mobile, backend, cloud and AI engineering for Canadian companies. Senior European delivery, practical timezone overlap and clean handoff.
United Kingdom
Senior nearshore software engineers for UK companies: custom web apps, backend platforms, cloud modernization, AI workflows and integrations.
France
Nearshore product engineering for French companies: web apps, mobile apps, AI workflows, cloud systems and integrations with EU timezone delivery.
Belgium
Nearshore web, backend, cloud, mobile and AI engineering for Belgian companies operating across languages, regions and EU compliance expectations.
Where these engineers come from
Direct EOR employment in two markets, hiring advisory across four more.
Senior engineers from North Macedonia
Merot's home market — deepest pool. ~30,000 IT professionals. Direct EOR via MEROT DOOEL Skopje.
Labour-law + payroll detail →Engineers from Kosovo
Youngest population in Europe, EUR currency (no FX risk). Direct EOR via MEROT L.L.C. Pristina.
Labour-law + payroll detail →Plus 4 advisory markets
Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro — hiring advisory + vetted local payroll partners. See the full outsourcing landing for the trade-offs.
Outsourcing landing →Engagement model
Frequently asked questions — Backend + APIs
Rails vs. Node vs. Go — what do you recommend?
Default: Node + TypeScript for new projects under a 5-person team. Rails when you want maximum convention + speed-of-build for CRUD apps. Go when latency matters + your team already runs Go. We don't push a stack — we pick what fits your team.
Do you write tests?
Yes — the kind you can actually maintain. Unit tests for pure logic, integration tests for the API surface, end-to-end tests sparingly. Coverage isn't a goal; correctness is.
Database — Postgres or something else?
Postgres is the default. MySQL when you've inherited it. Mongo for genuinely document-shaped data (rare). DynamoDB / Cassandra when you've outgrown Postgres scale (very rare for most clients).
Idempotency for webhooks?
Yes — every webhook handler we write is idempotent. We assume the sender will retry (because they will). Dead-letter queue for failures, replay tool to reprocess.
Background jobs — what stack?
Sidekiq for Rails. BullMQ for Node. Celery for Python. We don't recommend reinventing — these are mature.
GraphQL or REST?
REST by default — simpler to debug, cache, and rate-limit. GraphQL when the client team specifically needs it (deeply nested reads with strict typing). We won't push GraphQL just to have it.
How do you handle long-running operations?
Background job with status polling endpoint, or webhook callback when complete. We avoid keeping HTTP requests open longer than 30 seconds.
What about gRPC?
Used internally between services where latency matters (e.g. our PDF service does gRPC under high load). Rarely exposed externally — REST is friendlier for clients.
Let's scope your backend + apis project
Free 60-min discovery call. 6-page written brief in 48 hours.