PocketBase

PocketBase is a lightweight backend-as-a-service you run as a single executable. It provides a built-in SQLite database, an admin dashboard, authentication, file storage, and a generated API so you can ship web/mobile apps without standing up a full backend stack.

Key Features

• Embedded SQLite database with collections (schema), migrations, and query filters
• Admin UI to manage collections, records, users, and access rules
• Auth system for email/password plus OAuth2 providers, with user management and sessions
• REST-style API for CRUD and auth flows, plus real-time subscriptions for record changes
• File uploads/attachments stored locally with access rules and signed/file-serving endpoints
• Access control rules per collection/record (rule-based API permissions)
• Extendable backend via Go: hooks/events, custom routes, and plugins
• Single binary deployment; can be run via Docker and supports basic configuration via env/flags

Use Cases

• Backend for a single-page app or mobile app needing auth + CRUD + files
• Rapid prototyping of internal tools with an admin panel and API out of the box
• Replacing managed BaaS for small/medium projects that prefer SQLite-backed simplicity

Limitations and Considerations

• Primary datastore is SQLite (excellent for many workloads, but not a drop-in for horizontally scaled SQL clusters)
• Server-side extensibility is Go-centric; advanced customization typically requires writing Go code

PocketBase is a strong fit when you want a minimal operational footprint while still getting a full backend stack (data, auth, files, admin UI, and real-time APIs). It’s especially useful for prototypes and production apps that fit well within an embedded-database deployment model.