PocketBase vs Supabase
PocketBase
Backend in a single file with admin UI
Supabase
Open-source Firebase alternative on PostgreSQL
| Feature | PocketBase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Low-Code | Low-Code |
| Sub-category | Backend-as-Service | Backend-as-Service |
| Maturity | stable | stable |
| Complexity | beginner | beginner |
| Performance tier | medium | medium |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Pricing | fully free | fully free |
| GitHub stars | 44.0K | 78.0K |
| Contributors | 0 | 0 |
| Commit frequency | weekly | weekly |
| Plugin ecosystem | none | none |
| Docs quality | good | good |
| Backing org | PocketBase | Supabase |
| Funding model | community | vc_backed |
| Min RAM | 128 MB | 1 GB |
| Min CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Scaling pattern | single_node | single_node |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| K8s native | No | No |
| Offline capable | No | No |
| Vendor lock-in | none | none |
| Languages | Go | TypeScript |
| API type | REST | REST |
| Protocols | HTTP | HTTP |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Team size fit | solo, small, medium | solo, small, medium |
| First release | 2020 | 2020 |
| Latest version | — | — |
When to use PocketBase
- ✓ Primary: rapid-prototyping-backend
- ✓ Primary: small-app-backend
- ✓ Primary: auth-and-storage
When to use Supabase
- ✓ Primary: backend-as-service
- ✓ Primary: authentication
- ✓ Primary: realtime-subscriptions
PocketBase anti-patterns
- ✕ SQLite limits concurrent writes
- ✕ Not for large-scale production
- ✕ Single-binary means single-node
Supabase anti-patterns
- ✕ PostgreSQL dependency
- ✕ Edge functions limited vs full serverless
- ✕ Self-hosting complex