PocketBase is a backend that fits in a single file. One executable gives you a database, user authentication, file storage, and an admin dashboard — no setup, no separate services, no configuration files. If you want a backend for a side project and you do not want to run a server farm, PocketBase is the simplest honest option.
The pitch is that most small apps need the same things: users who can log in, data that can be stored, and files that can be uploaded. PocketBase provides all three out of the box. Download the binary, run it, and you have an admin dashboard at localhost:8090/_/ where you can create collections, define fields, and set access rules with a visual editor.
Your frontend talks to it over a simple REST API, with SDKs for JavaScript and Dart. A login looks like this:
import PocketBase from 'pocketbase'; const pb = new PocketBase('http://127.0.0.1:8090'); await pb.collection('users').authWithPassword('user@example.com', 'password123'); console.log('Logged in as', pb.authStore.model.email); const posts = await pb.collection('posts').getList(1, 20); console.log(posts.items); That is the whole backend for a blog, a todo app, or a small shop. PocketBase also handles realtime updates, so your UI can refresh when data changes, and it stores files on disk with no extra service.
The limits are honest. PocketBase is a single SQLite database in one file, so it is not built for massive scale or for teams that need complex queries across many tables. It is written in Go, so extending it means writing Go. And for a large production app with millions of users, a dedicated database and a separate auth service will fit better. But for a side project, a prototype, or a small business tool, it is hard to beat.
Start today with one step: download PocketBase, run it, create a posts collection in the admin dashboard, and fetch it from a tiny HTML page. When your app has a working backend in fifteen minutes, you will understand the appeal.
