HEAD-TO-HEAD BENCHMARK // DATABASES
PocketBase logo
PocketBase
VS
Supabase logo
Supabase

Comprehensive side-by-side technical comparison between PocketBase and Supabase.

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The Quick Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?

PocketBase logo
Choose PocketBase if:

Choose PocketBase if you want a single portable Go binary (<40MB RAM), embedded SQLite, built-in admin dashboard, and instant setup.

Supabase logo
Choose Supabase if:

Choose Supabase if you need full relational PostgreSQL, Row-Level Security (RLS), edge functions, pgvector, and multi-tenant cloud scale.

Technical Specification & Architecture Matrix

Feature / MetricPocketBaseSupabase
Software Categorydatabasesdatabases
Deployment ModelSelf-Hosted / Private CloudSelf-Hosted / Private Cloud
Licensing & IP RightsMITApache-2.0
Pricing & Seat Model$0 / Unlimited Users (FOSS)$0 / Unlimited Users (FOSS)
GitHub Community Stars★ 61,372★ 111,414
Primary Tech StackGo, SQLite, SvelteTypeScript, Go, PostgreSQL
Self-Hosting DifficultyEasyMedium
Hardware & RAM Footprint1 GB - 2 GB RAM (Hetzner CX22 / $4/mo)2 GB - 4 GB RAM (Hetzner CPX21 / $10/mo)
Detailed Inspect PageInspect PocketBase Stack →Inspect Supabase Stack →
ENGINEERING TRADE-OFFS

Key Advantages & Trade-offs

PocketBase logo

PocketBase Analysis

✓ Core Strengths
  • ✓100% data sovereignty & on-premises privacy with no third-party data mining.
  • ✓Zero per-seat licensing fees; scale unlimited team members on private VPS.
  • ✓Full inspection and custom modification of source code (MIT license).
✗ Considerations & Trade-offs
  • ✗Requires basic Linux or Docker server administration and automated backup scheduling.
  • ✗Community support via GitHub issues and Discord rather than formal enterprise SLA.
Supabase logo

Supabase Analysis

✓ Core Strengths
  • ✓100% data sovereignty & on-premises privacy with no third-party data mining.
  • ✓Zero per-seat licensing fees; scale unlimited team members on private VPS.
  • ✓Full inspection and custom modification of source code (Apache-2.0 license).
✗ Considerations & Trade-offs
  • ✗Requires basic Linux or Docker server administration and automated backup scheduling.
  • ✗Community support via GitHub issues and Discord rather than formal enterprise SLA.
DEPLOYMENT TEMPLATES

Production Docker Compose Configurations

PocketBase docker-compose.ymlCustom Generator →
version: "3.8"
services:
  pocketbase:
    image: ghcr.io/muchobien/pocketbase:latest
    container_name: pocketbase
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-8090}:8090"
    volumes:
      - pb_data:/pb_data
volumes:
  pb_data:
Supabase docker-compose.ymlCustom Generator →
version: "3.8"
services:
  studio:
    image: supabase/studio:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${STUDIO_PORT:-3000}:3000"
    environment:
      STUDIO_PG_META_URL: http://meta:8080
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD:-supabase_pwd}
  db:
    image: supabase/postgres:15.1.0.147
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${DB_PORT:-5432}:5432"
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD:-supabase_pwd}
    volumes:
      - db-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  db-data:

PocketBase vs Supabase: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary difference between PocketBase and Supabase?

PocketBase is a self-hosted open-source software (MIT licensed) focused on Open source backend in 1 single file with embedded SQLite. In contrast, Supabase is a self-hosted open-source solution (Apache-2.0 licensed) focused on The open source Firebase alternative with real-time PostgreSQL.

How much money can a 25-person team save by choosing PocketBase?

Commercial per-seat SaaS tools typically charge $10–$40/user/month ($3,000–$12,000/year for 25 seats). Self-hosting open-source software on a private VPS (typically $10–$25/month on Hetzner or DigitalOcean) reduces recurring software expenses by up to 95%.

What are the production server hardware requirements for self-hosting?

For PocketBase, recommended baseline memory is 1 GB - 2 GB RAM (Hetzner CX22 / $4/mo). For Supabase, recommended memory is 2 GB - 4 GB RAM (Hetzner CPX21 / $10/mo). Both can be provisioned using modern Docker Compose configurations.

Is data export and migration supported between PocketBase and Supabase?

Yes. Open-source solutions prioritize data portability with standard SQL database dumps, JSON/CSV exports, or native markdown files, ensuring zero vendor lock-in.