Firebase vs Pocketbase
Updated . Stats refresh daily.
Short answer: Choose based on your preference: cloud convenience vs self-hosted control.
At a glance
| Attribute | Firebase | Pocketbase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Open Source |
| Main job | Backend as a Service | All-in-one Backend |
| GitHub stars | 5,147 | 61,162 |
| npm downloads a week | 11M | 258k |
| Latest release | firebase@12.19.0, 2 weeks ago | v0.40.4, 2 weeks ago |
| Founded | 2011 | 2022 |
| Hosting | Google Cloud (managed) | Self-hosted (your server) |
| Open Source | No (proprietary) | Yes (MIT license) |
| Database | Firestore (NoSQL) | SQLite (SQL) |
| Built-in Auth | Yes (Firebase Auth) | Yes (built-in) |
| File Storage | Yes (Firebase Storage) | Yes (local file storage) |
| Realtime | Yes (Firestore realtime) | Yes (SSE realtime) |
| Admin Dashboard | Firebase Console | Built-in UI (localhost:8090) |
| Deployment | Automatic (cloud) | Manual (self-deploy) |
| Pricing | Pay-per-use | $5-20/mo (VPS hosting) |
| Scaling | Automatic | Manual (vertical + replication) |
Key differences
Hosting Model
Firebase is fully managed cloud service (Google hosts everything). Pocketbase is self-hosted (you run the single binary on your server). Firebase is SaaS; Pocketbase is self-managed.
Open Source vs Proprietary
Firebase is proprietary (closed source, Google-owned). Pocketbase is fully open source (can modify, self-host, no vendor lock-in). Firebase has vendor lock-in; Pocketbase is freedom.
Complexity vs Simplicity
Firebase is feature-rich but complex (many services, APIs, configurations). Pocketbase is simple (single Go binary, everything built-in). Firebase is powerful but complex; Pocketbase is simple and opinionated.
Pricing
Firebase
Free (Spark): 1GB storage. Pay-as-you-go (Blaze): $0.18/GB, $0.06 per 100K reads. Can get expensive at scale. Google handles all infrastructure.
Pocketbase
Free software (open source). Hosting: $5-20/mo for VPS (Digital Ocean, Hetzner). One-time cost, unlimited usage. You manage infrastructure.
Prices change often. Check each vendor's pricing page before you commit.
Strengths and weaknesses
Firebase
Strengths
- Fully managed (no server maintenance)
- Automatic scaling
- Google Cloud reliability
- Rich ecosystem and integrations
Weaknesses
- Vendor lock-in (proprietary)
- Can get expensive at scale
- Less control over infrastructure
- Complex pricing model
Pocketbase
Strengths
- Open source (full control, no lock-in)
- Very cheap ($5-20/mo total)
- Simple deployment (single binary)
- Built-in admin dashboard
Weaknesses
- Self-hosted (you manage servers)
- Manual scaling
- Less mature than Firebase
- Smaller community
Which should you choose?
Choose Firebase if
- You want fully managed cloud (no server maintenance).
- Automatic scaling is important.
- You prefer Google Cloud ecosystem.
- You don't mind vendor lock-in for convenience.
Choose Pocketbase if
- You want open source with full control.
- You're comfortable self-hosting.
- Budget is tight ($5/mo vs potentially hundreds).
- You want to avoid vendor lock-in.
Questions
How much does self-hosting Pocketbase cost?
$5-20/mo for a VPS (Digital Ocean, Hetzner, Linode). One instance can handle thousands of users. Much cheaper than Firebase at scale.
Is Pocketbase hard to deploy?
No, very easy. Download single Go binary, run `./pocketbase serve`, done. Deployment to VPS takes ~5 minutes. Firebase is easier (zero setup) but Pocketbase is still simple.
Can Pocketbase scale like Firebase?
Vertically yes (bigger server). Horizontally (multiple instances) requires manual setup. Firebase scales automatically. For 99% of apps, Pocketbase on one server is enough.
Which has better auth?
Both have good auth. Firebase Auth is more feature-rich. Pocketbase auth is simpler and built-in. Both support OAuth, email/password, etc.
Can I migrate from Firebase to Pocketbase?
Yes, but requires effort. Export Firestore data, transform to SQLite, rewrite security rules, deploy to server. Doable for small-medium apps.