Backendless
Backend-as-a-Service with database, realtime, auth, files, and cloud code
PocketBase
Single‑file Go backend with realtime, auth, and file storage
PocketBase delivers a lightweight, single‑binary backend featuring an embedded SQLite database, realtime subscriptions, built‑in user and file management, an admin UI, and a simple REST‑ish API.
Overview
Overview
PocketBase is aimed at developers who need a fast, self‑contained backend for web, mobile, or desktop applications. It bundles an embedded SQLite database with realtime change notifications, built‑in user authentication, file handling, and a browser‑based admin dashboard. The API follows a simple REST‑ish pattern and official SDKs for JavaScript and Dart make client integration straightforward.
Capabilities & Deployment
You can run PocketBase as a standalone executable—download the binary for your OS, extract, and start with pocketbase serve. Alternatively, import the library into a Go project to add custom routes or business logic, then compile a single statically linked binary. The built‑in JavaScript VM lets you extend functionality without recompiling. Prebuilt binaries cover major platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) and architectures. PocketBase is released under the MIT license and remains under active development, with full backward compatibility not guaranteed until the 1.0 release.
Highlights
Embedded SQLite with realtime subscriptions
Built‑in user authentication and file storage
Browser‑based admin dashboard UI
Official JavaScript and Dart SDKs
Pros
- Minimal setup – single binary or Go module
- Realtime data sync out of the box
- Extensible via Go code or JavaScript plugins
- Cross‑platform support for major OS/architectures
Considerations
- Pre‑1.0 release – backward compatibility not guaranteed
- Limited to SQLite as the underlying database
- Advanced scaling may require custom architecture
- Ecosystem smaller than major commercial BaaS platforms
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider PocketBase, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Rapid prototyping of web or mobile backends
- Small to medium applications needing realtime features
- Teams that prefer Go for server‑side development
- Projects that want a self‑hosted, single‑binary solution
Not ideal when
- Enterprise‑scale systems requiring horizontal scaling
- Use cases needing multi‑node database clustering
- Applications that depend on PostgreSQL or MySQL features
- Environments that require guaranteed API stability before v1.0
How teams use it
Realtime chat application
Instant message delivery with automatic sync across browsers using built‑in realtime subscriptions.
Mobile app backend
User registration, authentication, and media uploads managed via the unified API and admin UI.
IoT data collector
Lightweight edge device runs a static binary, stores sensor data locally in SQLite, and pushes updates in real time.
Internal admin tool
Quickly spin up a secure admin interface for managing employees and documents without separate server components.
Tech snapshot
Go72%
Svelte17%
SCSS6%
CSS3%
JavaScript2%
HTML1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install a separate database?
No, PocketBase includes an embedded SQLite database.
Can I extend functionality with custom code?
Yes, you can embed PocketBase as a Go library or add JavaScript plugins via the built‑in VM.
Which platforms are supported?
Prebuilt binaries are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux across common architectures such as amd64 and arm64.
Is there a cloud‑hosted version?
PocketBase is self‑hosted; you run the binary on your own infrastructure.
What license is PocketBase released under?
MIT license, allowing free commercial use.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 55,447
- Watchers
- 55,447
- Forks
- 3,042
LicenseMIT
Repo age3 years old
Last commit3 days ago
Primary languageGo
Last synced 10 hours ago