PocketBase vs Supabase: Lightweight vs Full-Featured BaaS

PocketBase is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite — your entire backend in one file. Supabase is a full platform built on PostgreSQL. Completely different scales.

Quick Verdict

Choose PocketBase for small projects, prototypes, and single-server apps where simplicity matters most. Choose Supabase for production apps that need scalability, real-time, and a full ecosystem.

The Comparison

Feature	PocketBase	Supabase
Architecture	Single binary + SQLite	PostgreSQL + services
Setup time	30 seconds	5 minutes
Database	SQLite (embedded)	PostgreSQL
Auth	✅	✅
Real-time	✅ (SSE)	✅ (WebSocket)
File storage	✅ (local/S3)	✅ (S3)
REST API	✅ (auto-generated)	✅ (auto-generated)
Admin UI	✅ (built-in)	✅ (Studio)
Hooks/functions	Go hooks / JS	Edge Functions (Deno)
Client SDKs	JS, Dart	JS, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin, Python
Horizontal scaling	❌ (single server)	✅
Full SQL	SQLite SQL	PostgreSQL SQL
Extensions	❌	✅ (pgvector, PostGIS, etc.)
Row-level security	Collection rules	PostgreSQL RLS
Cloud option	PocketHost	Supabase Cloud
Binary size	~15 MB	Multiple services
RAM usage	50-100 MB	1+ GB
License	MIT	Apache 2.0
Stars	42K+	76K+

When to Choose PocketBase

• Side projects, MVPs, and prototypes
• Single-server deployments
• You want the absolute simplest backend
• Go ecosystem is familiar
• Low resource usage matters (Raspberry Pi, cheap VPS)
• Offline-first or embedded use cases

When to Choose Supabase

• Production apps with growth expectations
• You need horizontal scaling
• PostgreSQL features matter (extensions, advanced queries)
• Real-time with WebSocket is preferred
• Multiple client SDKs needed
• Vector search for AI features

The Bottom Line

PocketBase is the SQLite of BaaS — incredibly simple, perfect for small projects, runs anywhere. Supabase is the PostgreSQL of BaaS — full-featured, scalable, production-ready. Start with PocketBase for experiments; use Supabase when you're building for real.

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Compare backend platforms on OSSAlt — scalability, features, and deployment simplicity side by side.