Architecture
The building blocks every Drift app is made of — and how they click together.
The three services
Every Drift app is built from three building blocks. Use one, use all three — they're designed to click together, so your site can call your functions and your functions can reach your data with nothing to wire up.
Atomic — Compute
Atomic runs your code as functions: small HTTP endpoints you write in the language you already know. You push the code; Atomic builds it, gives it a URL, secures it, scales it, and keeps it responsive — there are no cold starts to design around. A function is just a file with a one-line directive at the top that sets its route and authentication.
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Functions | HTTP API endpoints, zero boilerplate, multiple languages. |
| Elements | Group related functions into a single logical service. |
| Schedules | Run functions on a cron-style timetable. |
| Triggers | Invoke functions from queue messages or incoming webhooks. |
| Auth | Per-function API keys — turn protection on by editing one line. |
| Logs & metrics | Structured logs in real time; request counts, durations, error rates. |
Backbone — Data
Backbone is the encrypted data plane your functions talk to. It bundles the storage primitives most apps reach for — documents, files, secrets, queues, cache, and coordination — behind one simple interface, so you don't assemble (and pay for) five separate databases.
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| NoSQL | Document collections with indexing for fast lookups. |
| SQL | Per-slice SQLite databases with schemas and transactions. |
| Blobs | Object storage for files, uploads, and assets. |
| Secrets | Encrypted configuration, injected into your functions. |
| Queues | Pub/sub messaging for background and asynchronous work. |
| Cache | In-memory key/value store for hot reads. |
| Locks | Coordination primitives so work isn't processed twice. |
Canvas — Hosting
Canvas hosts your website or frontend. Point it at a folder and it serves your site over HTTPS at your slice's URL. Its best trick: a Canvas site can call its own Atomic functions on the same origin — no CORS to configure, no separate API domain, no tokens to shuttle between two services.
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Static hosting | One-command deploy of any static site or single-page app. |
| Same-origin APIs | Call your Atomic functions from the browser with no CORS setup. |
| Custom domains | Bring your own hostname; TLS is issued and renewed for you. |
| Automatic TLS | Every site gets a certificate out of the box — nothing to request. |