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.
| 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.