PocketBase
Backend & DatabasesAn open-source backend in a single executable with an embedded SQLite database, realtime subscriptions, user auth, file storage and an admin dashboard.
Open-source alternative to:
What the free edition leaves out
The free edition covers the features teams usually need; we found nothing important held back. “Not confirmed” means the official pages we read did not say, so we do not guess.
| Feature | Free edition | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO / SAML | Not confirmed | The authentication docs list password, one-time password and OAuth2 (Google, GitHub and Microsoft are named as examples). OIDC and SAML are not mentioned. | Source ↗ |
| Role-based access control | Not confirmed | Access is controlled by per-collection API rules written as filter expressions, with superusers bypassing them. The docs do not describe named roles. | Source ↗ |
| Audit logs | Not confirmed | Not mentioned on the pages read. | Source ↗ |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | Multiple users are supported through authentication collections. | Source ↗ |
| Backups and restore | Free | The Dashboard (Settings > Backups) has built-in backup and restore of pb_data, stored locally or in an S3-compatible bucket. | Source ↗ |
| API access | Free | A REST-ish API is served under /api/ by the same executable. | Source ↗ |
| Support SLA | Not confirmed | The docs point to FAQ, GitHub Discussions and issues. No paid support or SLA is described. | Source ↗ |
Best for
Developers who want a small backend with a database, user accounts, realtime updates and file storage on a single server, for a side project or a modest app.
Why choose it over Firebase
It is MIT licensed and runs as one executable with an embedded SQLite database, so there is no separate database server to manage. Auth, realtime subscriptions, a REST-style API, an admin dashboard and built-in backups are in the same download. It can also be used as a Go framework to add your own routes.
Where it falls short
Data is in a single SQLite file on one server, so scaling out across several servers is not what it is built for. Access control is rule expressions rather than named roles. There is no official Docker image and no official hosted service. Full backward compatibility is not guaranteed before v1.0.0, according to the README. Email sent through the default local mail setup will most likely be marked as spam, according to the production docs.
Open-source alternative to
- Firebase — PocketBase can be used in place of a hosted backend service such as Firebase for a project's database, user accounts, realtime updates and API, run on your own server.
Category
Backend & DatabasesTopics
Tech stack
Go
JavaScript
CSSLanguages as reported by GitHub for the repository.
