PocketBase

Single-binary Go backend on SQLite

FreeDatabases & backendpocketbase.io

What it is

One executable containing an embedded SQLite database, REST API, realtime subscriptions, email and OAuth2 authentication, file storage and an admin dashboard. Extensible through Go or JavaScript hooks. Still pre-1.0 at the v0.39 series, but widely run in production on a single small server.

Why it earns a slot

Zero cloud bill, zero vendor account, and the entire backend is one file you can copy onto a $5 VPS. Ideal when you want the code and the data to be genuinely yours with no pausing rules.

Know before you commit

Single node only — no horizontal scaling and no managed backups, so you own uptime, patching and disk. Pre-1.0 means occasional breaking changes between minor releases.

Getting started

Download the binary, then run ./pocketbase serve

Field notes

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Field check

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Pricing snapshot

Free and MIT-licensed. You pay only for a host — roughly $4-6/mo on Hetzner, Fly.io or a small VPS.

Snapshots move fast — verify at checkout, and post a field note if it changed.

Drop into your Lovable chat

Evaluate PocketBase (https://pocketbase.io) for this project, then use it only if it fits what we are already building.
Context: Single-binary Go backend on SQLite. One executable containing an embedded SQLite database, REST API, realtime subscriptions, email and OAuth2 authentication, file storage and an admin dashboard. Extensible through Go or JavaScript hooks. Still pre-1.0 at the v0.39 series, but widely run in production on a single small server.
Reviewer notes (general, not written for this codebase): Zero cloud bill, zero vendor account, and the entire backend is one file you can copy onto a $5 VPS. Ideal when you want the code and the data to be genuinely yours with no pausing rules.
Watch out for: Single node only — no horizontal scaling and no managed backups, so you own uptime, patching and disk. Pre-1.0 means occasional breaking changes between minor releases.
Pricing: Free and MIT-licensed. You pay only for a host — roughly $4-6/mo on Hetzner, Fly.io or a small VPS.
Setup: Download the binary, then run ./pocketbase serve
Rules: treat the notes above as background only. Do not assume a theme, style, layout or feature that is not already in this project — inspect the existing code first and ask me before changing visual direction.

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