SupabasevsPocketBase
TL;DR
PocketBase is a single Go binary with SQLite, auth, files, realtime, and an admin UI baked in. Supabase is a Postgres-backed platform. Pick PocketBase for small, single-server side projects you want to own. Pick Supabase for anything that will outlive a weekend.
Side project, self-host the binary
PocketBase
Production SaaS
Supabase
Postgres + RLS workflow
Supabase
Zero-ops single binary
PocketBase
| Feature | Supabase | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| Database | Postgres | SQLite (embedded) |
| Deployment | Managed or Docker bundle | Single Go binary |
| Realtime | Postgres replication | Built-in WebSocket |
| Auth | GoTrue + JWT | Bundled |
| Storage | S3-compatible | Local filesystem or S3 |
| Schema migrations | Drizzle, Prisma, Atlas | Migrations CLI (basic) |
| RLS-style authorization | Native Postgres RLS | Collection rules (custom DSL) |
| Horizontal scaling | Read replicas, branching | Single writer (SQLite limit) |
| AI-agent friendliness | Full schema introspection | SQLite introspection works |
When PocketBase wins
- You want one binary you can
scpto a VPS and forget about. PocketBase is genuinely zero-ops in a way Supabase isn't. - Your project is small enough that SQLite's single-writer limit doesn't matter. Personal tools, internal apps, weekend hacks.
- You don't want to think about a cloud bill or a sign-up flow.
- You like the bundled admin UI and don't need anything more.
When Supabase wins
- Your project has users with relationships and you want Postgres RLS as your authorization layer.
- You expect concurrent writes. SQLite's single-writer ceiling becomes a real problem under B2B SaaS load.
- You need the Postgres ecosystem: pgvector for RAG, pg_partman for time-series, replication, extensions, the works.
- You're vibe-coding. Agent productivity against Postgres is a real notch above SQLite for relational shapes.
Honest take
PocketBase is a beautiful tool for a narrow use case: small, single-instance, self-hosted apps where the developer wants to own everything. We love it for personal tools. For a real product with users, Supabase's richer stack (Postgres + RLS + Realtime + Auth + Storage at scale) earns its complexity. The two aren't really competitors; they're sized for different jobs.