Layer 3 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host PocketBase
The docs say 64 MB. In practice you want 512 MB. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from Firebase alternatives, where PocketBase is one of the picks.
Wondering whether you need to at all? Is Firebase free? — what the free tier actually allows, and where the wall is.
| RAM — documented minimum | 64 MB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 512 MB |
| CPU | 1 vCPU |
| Disk | SQLite database plus uploaded files |
| Monthly cost | $6/mo — the cheapest genuine backend on this list |
| Setup time | 10 minutes |
| How you install it | one Go binary. Database, auth, file storage, realtime and an admin UI, in a single file. |
| Ongoing maintenance | Very low. Replace the binary to upgrade. |
| Where it stops scaling | Genuinely impressive for one node — thousands of concurrent users on modest hardware. But one node is the design. |
The thing that catches people out
It is one process with a SQLite file, which is the appeal and the ceiling: there is no horizontal scaling, and a backup means copying the data directory while it is consistent. Use its built-in scheduled backups rather than a naive file copy of a live SQLite database, which can produce a corrupt snapshot that looks fine until you restore it.
When not to self-host PocketBase
You need multi-region, horizontal scale, or a team that expects Postgres. PocketBase is superb for a single app on a single box and honest about being exactly that.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 3 self-hosting guides
Common questions
- How much RAM does PocketBase actually need?
- 512 MB in practice. The documented minimum is 64 MB, which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. 1 vCPU alongside it.
- What does self-hosting PocketBase cost per month?
- $6/mo — the cheapest genuine backend on this list This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for very low. Replace the binary to upgrade.
- How long does it take to set up PocketBase?
- 10 minutes, via one Go binary. Database, auth, file storage, realtime and an admin UI, in a single file..
- When should I NOT self-host PocketBase?
- You need multi-region, horizontal scale, or a team that expects Postgres. PocketBase is superb for a single app on a single box and honest about being exactly that.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting PocketBase?
- It is one process with a SQLite file, which is the appeal and the ceiling: there is no horizontal scaling, and a backup means copying the data directory while it is consistent. Use its built-in scheduled backups rather than a naive file copy of a live SQLite database, which can produce a corrupt snapshot that looks fine until you restore it.