#44th of 21 in Backends, databases and hosting
pocketbase
Go backend with embedded SQLite, auth, file storage and admin UI
- Stars
- 61.5k
- License
- MIT
- Last commit
- Oct 2026
- Last release
- Oct 2026
- Language
- Go
56,650 on 31 Mar 202661,518 on 20 Oct 2026
From GitHub's daily star counts.
Checked on GitHub.
Overview
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
Ranked among open-source alternatives to Firebase (#4 of 10), Vercel (#4 of 10) and Heroku (#4 of 10).
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
What it needs
- no GPU
Head to head
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| 3 | dokkuSelf-hosted mini-Heroku PaaS that deploys apps with git push | 77 out of 100 |
| #5 | spacetimedbRelational database that runs your app logic as modules and syncs clients live | 75 out of 100 |
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