--- title: PocketBase slug: pocketbase url: "https://toolweight.com/tools/pocketbase" homepage: "https://pocketbase.io" categories: convex-alternatives last_verified: 2026-07-20 dataset_version: 0738be72 license: CC-BY-4.0 --- # PocketBase > One Go binary: SQLite database, auth, file storage, realtime and an admin UI. - A single executable: SQLite-backed database, auth, file storage, realtime API and admin dashboard - Extensible in Go or embedded JavaScript hooks - Scales as far as one machine does, further than most expect - Store is a plain SQLite file: extraction is a copy command, raw SQL available from hooks ## Identity | | | | --- | --- | | Name | PocketBase | | Company | PocketBase | | One-liner | One Go binary: SQLite database, auth, file storage, realtime and an admin UI. | | Site | https://pocketbase.io | | Docs | https://pocketbase.io/docs/ | | Repo | https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase | | Founded | 2022 | | Open source | Yes | | Licence | MIT | | Compared in | 1 | ## Where it is compared ### [Convex alternatives](https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives) Ranked **#4 of 11** on default weights. | Field | Value | Confidence | Verified | Source | Note | Permalink | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reactivity | push | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io/docs/api-realtime/ | Server-sent events on collection changes. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--reactivity_model | | TS inference | ◐ | Community-reported | - | - | The SDK is typed; collection types come from community typegen tools, not first-party inference. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--ts_inference | | Transactions | serialisable | Inferred | - | - | SQLite in WAL mode: one writer at a time, commits serialised. Fine until write concurrency is the bottleneck. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--transaction_semantics | | Local-first sync | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--local_first_sync | | Optimistic writes | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--optimistic_updates | | Cron & scheduling | ◐ | Inferred | - | - | Cron jobs are available from Go or the embedded JS hooks; there is no managed scheduler product. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--scheduled_functions | | File storage | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io/docs/files-handling/ | Local disk or any S3-compatible bucket. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--file_storage | | Vector search | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--vector_search | | Full-text search | ◐ | Inferred | - | - | Filter expressions with LIKE. SQLite FTS is reachable from hooks but not exposed through the collection API. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--full_text_search | | Auth | built-in | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io/docs/authentication/ | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--auth_included | | Hard limits | One machine. SQLite tops out near a billion bytes per value and a single concurrent writer; everything else is your disk and RAM. | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--hard_limits | | Cold start | 0ms | Inferred | - | - | One always-on process; there is nothing to spin up. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--cold_start | | Function timeout | - | Unknown | - | - | Hooks run in your own process, no platform-imposed ceiling. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--function_timeout | | Exit cost | 3 | Inferred | - | - | The data is a SQLite file you already have, which is the cheapest extraction on this page. The rewrite is the client SDK and the collection rules DSL, which touch every call site. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--exit_cost | | Self-hostable | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io/docs/going-to-production/ | Self-hosting is the only option; there is no vendor cloud. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--self_hostable | | Bulk export | ● | Inferred | - | - | Copy the SQLite file. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--bulk_export | | Raw SQL | ● | Inferred | - | - | Available from Go and JS hooks, and directly against the file. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--raw_sql | | Schema changes | declarative-push | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io/docs/go-migrations/ | Console edits auto-generate migration files you commit. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--schema_migrations | | MCP server | ○ | Inferred | - | - | No official server; community implementations exist. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--mcp_server | | Agent fit | 3 | Inferred | - | - | A single binary and a local database are easy for an agent to drive, but the schema lives in the admin UI. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--agent_fit | | Pricing model | free (self-host only) | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--pricing_model | | Entry price | $0/mo | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io | MIT-licensed software; your only cost is the box, realistically a $5 VPS. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--entry_price | | Egress metered | ○ | Inferred | - | - | Whatever your host charges you. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--egress_billing | | GitHub stars | 48,000 | Inferred | - | - | Approximate as of mid-2026. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--github_stars | | Backing | solo-maintainer | Community-reported | - | - | Primarily one maintainer. So far that has been a stability advantage rather than a liability. | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--backing | | Positioning | Open-source backend in one file. | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-20 | https://pocketbase.io | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/convex-alternatives#pocketbase--positioning | **Verdict.** Absurd value for single-machine workloads with the easiest extraction here; the ceiling is one writer, one box. ## Alternatives - [Appwrite](https://toolweight.com/tools/appwrite), Open-source backend platform: databases, auth, storage, functions, self-hostable. - [Convex](https://toolweight.com/tools/convex), Reactive TypeScript backend: database, functions and live queries in one project. - [ElectricSQL](https://toolweight.com/tools/electricsql), Postgres read-path sync: stream subsets of your own database to clients over HTTP. - [Firebase](https://toolweight.com/tools/firebase), Google's app platform: Firestore documents, auth, functions, deep mobile SDKs. - [InstantDB](https://toolweight.com/tools/instantdb), Client-side reactive database with a relational graph model and instant sync. - [Neon + Drizzle](https://toolweight.com/tools/neon-drizzle), The DIY baseline: serverless Postgres, a typed SQL query builder, nothing else. - [Nhost](https://toolweight.com/tools/nhost), Postgres plus Hasura GraphQL, auth, storage and serverless functions. - [Zero](https://toolweight.com/tools/rocicorp-zero), Sync engine that puts a queryable client cache in front of your own Postgres. - [Supabase](https://toolweight.com/tools/supabase), Managed Postgres with auth, storage, realtime and edge functions around it. - [Triplit](https://toolweight.com/tools/triplit), Full-stack database that syncs: local cache, server, relational queries, offline. ## Logo & brand colours SVG files: https://toolweight.com/teams/pocketbase/logo.svg and https://toolweight.com/teams/pocketbase/mono.svg. JSON: https://toolweight.com/api/v1/brands/pocketbase. | Hex | oklch | | --- | --- | | #16161a | oklch(20.2% 0.008 285.7) | | #ffffff | oklch(100.0% 0.000 0.0) | ## Licence and attribution Data from Toolweight (https://toolweight.com), licensed CC-BY-4.0. - Licence: [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) - Canonical HTML: https://toolweight.com/tools/pocketbase - Machine-readable: https://toolweight.com/tools/pocketbase.md · https://toolweight.com/api/v1 · https://toolweight.com/mcp - Toolweight takes no affiliate revenue and sells no placements.