Since parse now is opensource I was thinking about setting up a parse server on azure or something. Then I would at least get the benefit of using the parse api, as I find it to be easy to use.

Oh, you are in for a world of pain. The backend is where all the magic happens, esp. regarding de-duplication and indexing.

I'm creating an app similar to instagram. I'm only a single developer and want to avoid doing a lot of operation and server maintenance. The app will feature simple profiles where people can upload images, share them and let people comment on them. What would be a good solution for this functionality? Some solution similar to parse would be nice, but setting up my own service on, let's say, azure, is also ok if that's the best bet. 

Are there any good solutions for this? 

Backend solution for an instagram like app?