PocketBase

Q: How do I self-host PocketBase using Docker Compose?

You can deploy PocketBase (pocketbase/pocketbase) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

Q: How does PocketBase compare to Firebase?

PocketBase is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Firebase built with Go, SQLite, Svelte. Unlike Firebase ($25 - $200+ / project / month), PocketBase has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

Q: What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for PocketBase?

For production self-hosting (Easy difficulty tier), we recommend at least 2 GB RAM (minimum 1 GB), 1 vCPU, and 10 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean).

Q: Is PocketBase free for commercial business use under the MIT license?

Yes. Distributed under the MIT license, PocketBase can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

✓ Verified FOSSMIT

Top open-source alternative to Firebase

⭐ 61,372 Stars Official Website ↗

Open Source realtime backend in 1 file

Tech StackGo, SQLite, Svelte

Self-Host DifficultyEasy

License ModelMIT

GitHub Repositorypocketbase/pocketbase

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean)

Min RAM:1 GB

Rec RAM:2 GB

Compute:1 vCPU

Disk Space:10 GB SSD

PocketBase vs Firebase Comparison Matrix

Evaluation Criteria	PocketBase (Open Source)	Firebase (Proprietary)
Deployment Footprint	Single portable Go binary (<40MB RAM)	Multi-region cloud infrastructure
Database Engine	Embedded SQLite with WAL mode	Proprietary Firestore NoSQL
High Read/Write Queries	Unlimited queries on private VPS	Billed per document read and write

INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $113/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from Firebase to Self-Hosted PocketBase

Detailed Stack Calculator →

Active Team Members / Seats: 25 Users

5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)

Firebase (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax

$33,900per year ($2,825/mo)

3-Year Spend:$101,700

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

PocketBase (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee

$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)

3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$101,340Net savings across 36 months (100% reduction)

Annual Free Cash:+$33,780/yr

Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES // SIDE-BY-SIDE AUDIT

Compare PocketBase Head-to-Head

Custom Comparison Engine →

★ PRIMARY REPLACEMENTFOSS vs SaaS

PocketBasevs

Firebase

Comprehensive benchmark comparing PocketBase against proprietary Firebase licensing and features.

View Full Battle Report→

DatabasesPEER BENCHMARK

Supabasevs

PocketBase

Enterprise Multi-Service PostgreSQL vs Single-Binary Go/SQLite

Inspect Comparison→

DatabasesPEER BENCHMARK

Supabasevs

Firebase

Open-Source Relational Postgres vs Google Proprietary NoSQL

Inspect Comparison→

DatabasesPEER BENCHMARK

NocoDBvs

Baserow

Connect to Any Existing MySQL/PG vs Dedicated PostgreSQL Airtable Clone

Inspect Comparison→

DatabasesPEER BENCHMARK

Appsmithvs

Retool

Free Self-Hosted Internal GUI Builder vs $50/User/Month Retool Paywall

Inspect Comparison→

DatabasesPEER BENCHMARK

NocoDBvs

Airtable

Connect Existing MySQL/PG Databases vs $20-$45/User/Mo Airtable Paywall

Inspect Comparison→

Core Capabilities & Features

✓Single 15MB Binary

✓Embedded SQLite with WAL

✓Realtime WebSockets

✓Admin Dashboard Included

Self-Host PocketBase with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

Select Open-Source Project:

PocketBaseMIT

Open source backend in 1 single file with embedded SQLite

Difficulty: Easy61,372 ⭐

Configure Parameters

Dashboard Port (PORT)

docker-compose.pocketbase.yml

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:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting PocketBase

How do I self-host PocketBase using Docker Compose?

You can deploy PocketBase (pocketbase/pocketbase) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does PocketBase compare to Firebase?

PocketBase is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Firebase built with Go, SQLite, Svelte. Unlike Firebase ($25 - $200+ / project / month), PocketBase has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for PocketBase?

For production self-hosting (Easy difficulty tier), we recommend at least 2 GB RAM (minimum 1 GB), 1 vCPU, and 10 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean).

Is PocketBase free for commercial business use under the MIT license?

Yes. Distributed under the MIT license, PocketBase can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

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SIMILAR REPOSITORIES // PEER COMPARISON