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Dev Toolsdocker-ready1-click-deploypermissive-license100% FOSS🟢 Lightweight · ~256MB

PocketBase: Open Source alternative to Firebase in 2026

PocketBase is a backend-as-a-service in a single binary file: SQLite database, authentication, file storage and a realtime API, ideal for MVPs and small apps.

Alternative to Firebase
License MIT61.4k starsWebsite GitHub Repository

Audit Snapshot

View notes →

  • License — Matches GitHub

  • GitHub — Active

  • Latest release — v0.40.5 · 4 days ago

  • Docker Compose — Partial

  • Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack

PocketBase vs. Firebase

Pros

  • Auth, storage and database in a single binary, no separate pieces to coordinate

Things to consider

  • SQLite limits horizontal scalability at high volume

Quick Docker installation guide

Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →

💡 Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?

  • On the official cloud: a recurring monthly fee and usage limits on Firebase.
  • On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
docker-compose.yml
version: "3.9"
services:
  pocketbase:
    image: ghcr.io/muchobien/pocketbase:0.40.4
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8090:8090"
    volumes:
      - pocketbase_data:/pb/pb_data
volumes:
  pocketbase_data:

🚀 Deploy in 1 command

Recommended for beginners

Copy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything — no nano, no pasting code blocks.

curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=pocketbase" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.sh
See what this script does →

This docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project — last commit today.

This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub →

Technical profile

License
MIT
Category
Dev Tools
Replaces
Firebase
Tech stack
GoSQLite

Under the hood

Database

SQLite

Language

Go

Platforms

Web

Key features

  • Auth, storage and database in one binary
  • Realtime API over WebSockets
  • Admin panel included

Preview

PocketBase interface preview

Public image provided by PocketBase on its own website.

💾 Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)

As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update — that's the only thing you need to back up.

1. Create a compressed backup on the server

tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data

2. Download it to your computer

From your computer's terminal (not your server's):

scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./

3. Restore in case of emergency

tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz
🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL

Step 1 — Set up the DNS

In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:

Type
A
Name/Host
@ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
Content/Value
Your server's public IP

Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.

Step 2 — Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy

One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates — Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.

Create a file called Caddyfile:

yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8090
}

Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy