PocketBase vs Appwrite Cloud
A detailed comparison to help you choose between PocketBase and Appwrite Cloud.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
PocketBase
0 reviews
3.9/5
Appwrite Cloud
0 reviews
PocketBase is rated higher (4.0 vs 3.9). PocketBase is an open source backend consisting of a single executable file with embedded SQLite database, realtime subscriptions, auth, file storage, and an admin dashboard. Appwrite is an open source BaaS with database, authentication, storage, functions, and messaging. Self-hostable on Docker. Appwrite Cloud provides managed hosting.
PocketBase Open-source backend with built-in database and real-time APIs | Appwrite Cloud Open-source backend platform with built-in database, auth, and APIs | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.9 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | free and open source (MIT); self-hosted, infrastructure costs only | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Solo developers and small teams who want a self-hosted backend with auth, database, files and realtime — without running multiple services or paying a platform fee | Developers and small teams who want a complete managed backend with a genuine self-hosting exit and refuse Firebase-style lock-in. |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostable | free tieropen sourceself hostableapi access |
| Visit PocketBase → | Visit Appwrite Cloud → | |
PocketBase
Pros
- + Complete backend (SQLite, REST API, auth, files, SSE realtime, admin UI) in one MIT-licensed binary
- + Zero software cost and no vendor lock-in: MIT licence explicitly permits commercial reuse and self-hosting
- + Fast local storage and simple deployment — Docker, any VPS, or embedded as a Go framework in your own binary
- + Extensible without Go via JS hooks and migrations; S3-compatible file storage and built-in backup tooling
- + Excellent documentation and a 61.5k-star community; auth covers password, OAuth2, OTP and MFA out of the box
Cons
- - Pre-1.0 with no backward-compatibility guarantee — v0.23 broke the core Go API and hooks
- - Single-node SQLite: no clustering, replication or managed failover; HA and backups are your job
- - Predominantly one maintainer, community support only — no SLA or support contract
- - No official managed hosting (third parties fill that gap), no job queue or cron built in
Appwrite Cloud
Pros
- + BSD 3-Clause open source with full self-hosting on any Docker host
- + Generous Pro resources: 2 TB bandwidth, 150 GB storage, 200K MAU at $25/month
- + Complete backend stack: auth, databases, storage, functions, realtime, messaging
- + Clear published overage rates and budget caps
- + Six regions across NA, EU, and APAC
Cons
- - No published uptime SLA on cloud plans
- - Free tier pauses projects after a week of inactivity; two-project limit
- - Per-project pricing multiplies cost for multi-project architectures
- - Smaller integration ecosystem than Firebase or Supabase
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