PocketBase vs Supabase
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosting platforms (paas) options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | PocketBase | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) | Self-Hosting Platforms (PaaS) |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker, source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 60,550 | ★ 107,678 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Firebase | Firebase |
Why pick each one
Choose PocketBase if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 60.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or Supabase better?
Neither is universally better. Supabase has the larger community, while PocketBase is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PocketBase and Supabase free and open-source?
Yes. PocketBase is licensed under MIT and Supabase under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PocketBase and Supabase with Docker?
PocketBase: yes. Supabase: yes.