PocketBase vs Nhost
Both are alternatives to Firebase. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Nhost vs PocketBase — same comparison, one verdict.
PocketBase
The entire backend is one file you can copy to a server.
PocketBase is a single Go binary containing an embedded SQLite database, authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions and an admin UI. There is no Docker, no cluster, no dependency list — you download one executable, run it, and you have a backend. For a side project, an internal tool or an MVP it is the least ceremony available anywhere, and the fact that your entire production database is a file you can copy is a real feature rather than a limitation. MIT, about 60.4k stars. The honest constraint is SQLite: superb up to a point, and that point is a single machine.
Nhost
Postgres plus instant GraphQL, for teams that think in queries.
Nhost pairs Postgres with Hasura to give you a GraphQL API generated straight from your schema, alongside authentication, storage and serverless functions. If your front end is React or Vue and your team already prefers GraphQL to REST, this is the shortest path from a database table to a typed query in the client. MIT, self-hostable, with a hosted tier. It is the smallest project here at around 9.3k stars, which is the caveat — the technology is sound and the ecosystem is thin.
Side by side
| PocketBase | Nhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 95 | 88 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Pricing | Free and open source. You pay for a server, and a very small one will do. | Free tier available; hosted plans from about $25/month. Self-hostable at no licence cost. |
PocketBase edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
PocketBase
Strengths
- +One binary, no dependencies — the simplest deployment in this comparison
- +Your whole database is a file you can copy, back up and version
- +Extremely fast for read-heavy workloads on modest hardware
- +MIT, no enterprise edition, no upsell path
Trade-offs
- −SQLite means one machine — no horizontal scaling story
- −Smaller feature surface than Firebase or Supabase
- −Effectively a single-maintainer project, which is a real risk to weigh
- −Not the right choice for an app expecting millions of concurrent users
Nhost
Strengths
- +Instant GraphQL from your Postgres schema via Hasura
- +Real Postgres underneath, so the data stays portable
- +MIT licensed with a genuine self-host path
- +Strong typed-client story for React and Vue front ends
Trade-offs
- −Much smaller community than Supabase or Appwrite
- −GraphQL-first is a commitment, not a neutral default
- −Self-hosting means running Hasura and Postgres, not one binary
- −Fewer SDKs, and mobile support lags the others
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Facts verified 2026-07-31. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.