PocketBase — An open-source (MIT) backend delivered as a single executable file, bundling a SQLite database, authentication, file storage, and a realtime REST API for self-hosted apps.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
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PocketBase in 20 seconds
Best for: Developers wanting a single-binary backend for a side project or small-to-medium app.
Pricing: Free and open source; self-hosted only, no official managed cloud pricing.
- PocketBase is distributed as a single executable file under the MIT license.
- PocketBase bundles an embedded SQLite database, authentication, file storage, and a realtime REST API.
- PocketBase's GitHub repository has over 60,000 stars.
- There is no official managed cloud hosting for PocketBase; it is self-hosted only.
Limitations: No official managed cloud offering; hosting and scaling are self-managed.; SQLite's single-writer model limits concurrent write throughput.; Smaller ecosystem of official integrations than hosted platforms like Supabase or Firebase.
Top alternatives: Supabase, Firebase, Appwrite — full list
What is PocketBase?
PocketBase is an open-source backend-as-a-file: a single Go executable that bundles an embedded SQLite database, authentication, file storage, and a realtime REST API, distributed under the MIT license. Running PocketBase means downloading one binary and starting it — there is no separate database server, auth provider, or storage bucket to configure, which is the core appeal versus assembling a backend from Postgres, an auth library, and an S3 bucket manually. The built-in admin dashboard lets non-technical users manage records and users through a web UI, while the REST API and realtime subscriptions serve the actual application. Developers who need custom server-side logic extend PocketBase with Go or JavaScript hooks rather than switching to a different framework. Because there's no official hosted cloud product, every deployment is self-managed, typically on a VPS or a platform like Fly.io or Railway.
PocketBase is an open-source backend platform distributed as a single portable executable that bundles an embedded SQLite database, built-in authentication (email/password and OAuth2 providers like Google and GitHub), file storage, and a realtime REST API with a schema builder. It is entirely free and self-hosted under the MIT license, with no official managed cloud offering, and is built in Go with JavaScript and Dart client SDKs for frameworks like React, Vue, Svelte, and Flutter. It targets developers who want a lightweight backend for a side project, MVP, or small-to-medium application without provisioning separate database, auth, and storage services, and the GitHub repository has over 60,000 stars.
Standout feature: The entire backend — SQLite database, authentication, file storage, and a realtime REST API — ships as one portable executable with no separate services to provision.
Biggest weakness: There is no official managed cloud hosting, so scaling, backups, and uptime are entirely the developer's responsibility, and SQLite's single-writer model makes PocketBase a weaker fit for applications with heavy concurrent write traffic than a Postgres-backed platform.
Pros
- Single executable bundles database, auth, storage, and a realtime API with no separate services to configure.
- MIT license with source fully available; no vendor lock-in.
- Built-in admin dashboard for managing records and users without writing code.
- JavaScript and Dart SDKs cover popular frontend frameworks including React, Vue, Svelte, and Flutter.
Cons
- No official managed cloud offering; every deployment is self-hosted and self-maintained.
- SQLite's single-writer model limits write concurrency compared to Postgres-based backends.
- Custom server-side logic requires extending PocketBase in Go or JavaScript hooks rather than a more general-purpose framework.
- Smaller ecosystem of official integrations and enterprise features than a hosted platform like Supabase or Firebase.
PocketBase pricing
Free · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Free | Free and open source (MIT license); run on your own server, VPS, or hosting platform. No official managed cloud offering. |
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