# PocketBase

Reviewed

An open-source backend for your app in a single file

- macOS

- Windows

- Linux

- API

- Open source

[Visit website ](<https://pocketbase.io/>)

PocketBase dashboard editing the fields of a products collectionAPI rules settings for a PocketBase collectionBackup settings in the PocketBase dashboard

## What PocketBase does

PocketBase is an open-source backend that ships as a single executable. It bundles an embedded SQLite database with realtime subscriptions, user authentication, file storage, an admin dashboard, and a REST-style API, and can also be used as a Go or JavaScript framework.

PocketBase is a backend for web and mobile apps that runs from one file. You download the prebuilt executable for your platform, start it, and get a database, user authentication, file storage, an admin dashboard, and an API without installing anything else. The goal is to handle common backend work such as CRUD, auth, uploads, and automatic TLS so you can focus on your app's interface and business logic.

Data lives in an embedded SQLite database running in WAL mode. The dashboard includes a schema builder for collections, data validation, and API rules that control who can list, view, create, update, or delete records. Clients can subscribe to realtime changes. Authentication covers email and password sign-ups and more than 15 OAuth2 providers, including Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, GitHub, and GitLab. Files can be stored locally or in S3-compatible storage, attached to records, and given thumbnails on the fly. The dashboard also handles backups, SMTP settings, rate limits, and superuser security options.

You can use PocketBase as a standalone app or as a framework. Go and JavaScript hooks let you add custom business logic while keeping a portable backend. Official JavaScript and Dart SDKs make it easy to connect frontends and mobile apps. PocketBase does not run cloud functions and does not provide ready-made login screens; you build your own frontend.

PocketBase is free and open source under the MIT license. It is a personal project developed on a volunteer basis, not a startup or company, with an intentionally limited scope. There is no hosted version, so you run it yourself on a VPS or other server. It scales on a single server, and the FAQ notes it can serve more than 10,000 persistent realtime connections on a small VPS.

The project is still before version 1.0, so full backward compatibility is not guaranteed yet, and the docs say it is not yet recommended for production-critical applications unless you are ready to apply manual migration steps. It suits small and midsize applications such as SaaS products, mobile API backends, and intranets.

### Best for

Developers building small or midsize apps who want a self-hosted backend with auth, database, files, and realtime in one binary.

### Not for

Teams that need a managed hosted service, horizontal scaling across many servers, databases other than SQLite, or production-critical stability guarantees before v1.0.

## Questions and answers

Does PocketBase offer hosting?

No. PocketBase is self-hosted only. You run the executable on your own server or VPS.

Which database does it use?

PocketBase uses embedded SQLite in WAL mode. There are no plans to support other databases.

Does it support social logins?

Yes. It supports more than 15 OAuth2 providers, including Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, GitHub, and GitLab.

How do I add custom server logic?

PocketBase does not run cloud functions. Instead, you can use it as a Go or JavaScript framework and extend it with hooks.

Is it ready for production?

PocketBase is still under active development, and backward compatibility is not guaranteed before v1.0.0. The docs do not yet recommend it for production-critical applications unless you are fine applying manual migration steps.

## Similar products

- [supabase.com](<https://supabase.com/>)

- [firebase.google.com](<https://firebase.google.com/>)

- [appwrite.io](<https://appwrite.io/>)

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## Verified signals

Reviewed by submitby.aiYes

GitHub61,212 stars · MIT

Checked 2026-09-29. Sources link out.

## Details

Category[Databases & Storage](<https://submitby.ai/categories/databases>)

PricingOpen source

PlatformsmacOS, Windows, Linux, API

Added2026-09-29

## Links

- [GitHub](<https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase>)

- [Documentation](<https://pocketbase.io/docs/>)

## Added by submitby.ai

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