PocketBase is a backend in a single executable — database, auth, file storage, real-time subscriptions.
What You Get for Free
- SQLite database — with a REST API auto-generated from your schema
- Authentication — email/password, OAuth2 (Google, GitHub, etc.)
- Real-time — subscribe to collection changes via SSE
- File storage — local or S3-compatible
- Admin dashboard — manage collections, users, settings via UI
- JavaScript SDK — type-safe client for frontend apps
- Hooks — extend with Go or JavaScript
- Single binary — 15MB, zero dependencies, runs anywhere
Quick Start
# Download single binary
wget https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/releases/latest/download/pocketbase_linux_amd64.zip
unzip pocketbase_linux_amd64.zip
./pocketbase serve
# Admin dashboard at http://localhost:8090/_/
# Create collections (tables) via UI → instant REST API
import PocketBase from 'pocketbase';
const pb = new PocketBase('http://localhost:8090');
// Auth
await pb.collection('users').authWithPassword('user@email.com', 'pass');
// CRUD
const records = await pb.collection('posts').getList(1, 20);
// Real-time
pb.collection('posts').subscribe('*', (e) => console.log(e));
Why Solo Developers Love It
Firebase/Supabase are overkill for MVPs. PocketBase:
- Single file — copy binary to server, run, done
- SQLite — no database server needed
- 15MB total — runs on the cheapest VPS or even a Raspberry Pi
- Extend with Go — when you outgrow it, add custom endpoints
A solo developer built an MVP in a weekend using PocketBase. Instead of provisioning PostgreSQL, Redis, and an auth service, they copied one 15MB file to a $4/mo VPS — full backend running in 30 seconds.
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