PocketBase

What is PocketBase?

PocketBase is an open source backend that ships as a single executable file. One Go binary gives you an embedded SQLite database with realtime subscriptions, user authentication, file storage, and an admin dashboard — so you can stand up a complete backend without wiring together separate services.

What is PocketBase best for?

Solo developers and small teams building mobile apps, SaaS prototypes, or internal tools who want a Firebase-style backend they fully control. It shines when you want to download one file, run it, and have auth, a database, and a REST API ready in minutes — without a cloud account or per-read billing.

What can PocketBase do?

• Store data in an embedded SQLite database with a visual schema builder and a REST-like API
• Push live updates to clients with realtime subscriptions on any collection
• Handle user accounts with email/password and OAuth2 logins (Google, GitHub, GitLab, Facebook, and more)
• Save files locally or in S3-compatible storage, with on-the-fly thumbnail generation
• Manage everything through a built-in admin dashboard
• Integrate fast with official JavaScript and Dart/Flutter SDKs
• Extend behavior with Go or JavaScript hooks, or embed PocketBase as a library in your own Go app

Is PocketBase free?

Yes — PocketBase is fully free and open source under the permissive MIT license, with no paid tiers or feature gates. There is no managed cloud offering, so your only cost is the server you run it on; a small VPS is enough for most projects.

Where does PocketBase fall short?

• It scales vertically only — one server. There’s no built-in horizontal scaling or multi-instance replication, so very high-traffic or distributed workloads aren’t its target.
• It’s tied to SQLite, with no plans to support Postgres or other databases, and it has no serverless cloud functions like Firebase or Supabase.
• It’s still pre-1.0 (v0.x) and largely a one-person volunteer project, so expect occasional breaking changes and limited formal support guarantees.

What does PocketBase replace?

PocketBase is a self-hosted alternative to Firebase. It covers the same core jobs — database, auth, realtime, and file storage — but runs on your own hardware with no usage-based billing. It also overlaps with Supabase, another open source backend, though Supabase is a heavier Postgres-based platform while PocketBase optimizes for single-file simplicity.

FAQ

Is PocketBase open source? Yes. PocketBase is released under the MIT license, one of the most permissive open source licenses, so you can use, modify, and ship it commercially for free.

Can I self-host PocketBase for free? Yes — self-hosting is the only way to run it, and the software is free. You just pay for the server, and a low-cost VPS handles most small-to-midsize apps.

Is PocketBase a good Firebase alternative? For small and midsize apps, yes — you get auth, a realtime database, and file storage without vendor lock-in or per-operation pricing. If you need automatic global scaling or serverless functions, a managed platform may fit better.

What do I need to run PocketBase? Just a server to host the single executable. There’s no separate database to install — SQLite is embedded — and you can optionally point file storage at an S3-compatible bucket.