PocketBase vs Xata
A detailed comparison to help you choose between PocketBase and Xata.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
PocketBase
0 reviews
3.9/5
Xata
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. Xata is a managed Postgres platform built around copy-on-write branching and scale-to-zero compute, aimed at per-PR and per-agent database workflows. Vanilla PostgreSQL, open-source core (Apache 2.0), plus pgroll for zero-downtime migrations. The original search/spreadsheet product was retired during a 2024-2025 pivot.
PocketBase Open-source backend with built-in database and real-time APIs | Xata Postgres platform with copy-on-write branching and scale-to-zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.9 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | free and open source (MIT); self-hosted, infrastructure costs only | pay-as-you-go |
| Starting price | Free tier available✓ | From $9/mo |
| 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 | Teams that need an isolated Postgres per pull request or per AI agent run, with branching and scale-to-zero economics rather than per-database pricing |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | 2 vCPU |
| RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Storage | — | — |
| Bandwidth | — | — |
| SLA uptime | — | — |
| Data-center count | — | — |
| €/vCPU/mo | — | €4.50 |
| €/GB RAM/mo | — | €9.00 |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ✓ | |
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ✓ | |
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | US East (N. Virginia), GCP; EU Central (Frankfurt), GCP |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostable | free tiermanaged optionbackups includedeu datacenterus datacenterapi access |
| Visit PocketBase → | Visit Xata → | |
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
Xata
Pros
- + Instant copy-on-write branching with no per-branch, per-developer or per-database fees
- + Scale-to-zero: idle branches bill $0 compute and wake in about a second
- + Vanilla PostgreSQL — standard extensions, drivers and tooling, no fork
- + Public pricing is unusually transparent, including a machine-readable pricing.md
- + Open-source core (Apache 2.0) plus genuinely useful standalone tools: pgroll, pgstream
Cons
- - Young platform behind a company that already retired one product its customers relied on
- - No published uptime SLA or backup policy on the public site
- - Self-serve limited to two regions (US East, EU Central); deep compliance and support tiers are BYOC sales conversations
- - Key pieces (Xatastor, multi-tenant control plane) remain proprietary despite the open-source push
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