Introduction

bananaDB is a 🍌 lightweight JSON database and REST API mock server.
It turns a simple .json file into a live RESTful API with zero setup — ideal for prototyping, mocking, and testing front-end applications.

With one command:

npx bananadb --db db.json --port 4000

bananaDB will:

• 🚀 Spin up a REST server instantly using your JSON file as the database
• 🔄 Expose CRUD routes (GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE) for each top-level array
• 🆔 Support custom IDs, auto-increment numbers, or random string IDs
• 👀 Watch your file for changes and hot-reload routes automatically
• 🌐 Enable CORS by default, making it front-end-friendly
• 🎨 Print available endpoints in a clean, color-coded console view

Example

Given a db.json:

{
  "users": [
    { "id": 1, "name": "Alice" },
    { "id": 2, "name": "Bob" }
  ],
  "posts": []
}

bananaDB generates routes like:

GET     /users
GET     /users/1
POST    /users
PATCH   /users/1
DELETE  /users/1
 
GET     /posts

Why bananaDB?

• ⚡ Zero-config – no schemas, migrations, or servers to install
• 📝 JSON-first – just edit your file and see instant changes
• 🔧 Drop-in replacement for json-server with familiar flags (--db, --watch)
• 🛠 Perfect for front-end devs – mock APIs in seconds and focus on UI

👉 Next: Getting Started