appwrite vs pocketbase
Two of the top projects in Backends, databases and hosting, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
appwrite
Self-hostable backend with auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging and hosting
pocketbase
Go backend with embedded SQLite, auth, file storage and admin UI
Verdict
appwrite ranks higher, 94 to 76. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, appwrite leads on 2, pocketbase on 2 and 1 is even.
- Adoptionpocketbase leads by 3 points, 94 to 91: close to even.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancepocketbase leads by 5 points, 96 to 91.
- Easy to runappwrite leads by 50 points, 100 to 50: a wide gap.
- Agent-readyappwrite leads by 70 points, 70 to 0: a wide gap.
Pick appwrite if you are
Developers who want a self-hosted or managed backend for web and mobile apps
- One Docker-based installer sets up the full stack, with Compose and env files also published
- SDKs for 6 client and 10 server platforms, plus REST, GraphQL and Realtime APIs
Pick pocketbase if you are
Developers who want a self-hosted single-binary backend for web or mobile apps
- Single portable executable; database, auth, files and admin UI are built in
- Extensible with JavaScript (JS VM in prebuilt binaries) or as a Go library
| What we compare | appwrite | pocketbase |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 91, widely used | 94, widely used |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 91, healthy | 96, healthy |
| Easy to run | 100, very easy | 50, easy |
| Agent-ready | 70, partly | 0, none |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 57.7k | 61.5k |
| License | BSD-3-Clause (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Docker | Yes | No |
| GPU | Not needed | Not needed |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Mentioned | Mentioned |
appwrite
Appwrite is a backend platform that bundles Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Sites, Messaging, Realtime and a Firewall behind REST, GraphQL and WebSocket APIs. It runs as a managed cloud or self-hosted via a Docker installer, and offers a hosted MCP server so coding agents can operate on a live project. Client and server SDKs cover Web, Flutter, Apple, Android, React Native, Unity, Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, Rust and others.
Who it is for: Developers who want a self-hosted or managed backend for web and mobile apps
Strengths
- One Docker-based installer sets up the full stack, with Compose and env files also published
- SDKs for 6 client and 10 server platforms, plus REST, GraphQL and Realtime APIs
- Hosted MCP server uses OAuth, so no API keys are needed on Cloud
- Same product runs on managed Cloud or on your own infrastructure
Weaknesses
- Installer needs access to the Docker socket on the host
- Self-hosted instances must use a separate local MCP server, not the hosted one
- Hybrid monolith-plus-workers architecture means many services to operate
- RAM and CPU requirements are not stated in the README
- no GPU
- Docker + Compose
- Needs Docker
- port 20080
pocketbase
PocketBase is a Go backend that ships as one executable with an embedded SQLite database, realtime subscriptions, user and file management, an admin dashboard and a REST-ish API. It runs standalone via `./pocketbase serve`, extended with JavaScript through the bundled JS VM, or imported as a Go library to build a custom single binary. Official SDKs exist for JavaScript and Dart.
Who it is for: Developers who want a self-hosted single-binary backend for web or mobile apps
Strengths
- Single portable executable; database, auth, files and admin UI are built in
- Extensible with JavaScript (JS VM in prebuilt binaries) or as a Go library
- Official JavaScript and Dart SDKs; realtime subscriptions included
- MIT license; static builds with CGO_ENABLED=0 for many OS/arch targets
Weaknesses
- Backward compatibility not guaranteed before v1.0.0
- Embedded SQLite only; no other database backend mentioned in the README
- External pull requests are currently disabled, only collaborators can open them
- Go 1.27+ required to build or use as a framework
- no GPU
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