PocketBase free tier: the verified facts
Last verified: 2026-10-06· official pricing page
FREE TIER EXISTS NO CARD NEEDED
Open-source backend in one binary — Postgres-free Firebase alternative you host yourself.
Current limits
| What | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Open source; no hosted/paid tier exists at all |
| Deployment | Single binary, single server | Scales vertically only — no clustering |
| Database | Embedded SQLite (WAL mode) | No Postgres/MySQL option |
| Auth | 15+ OAuth2 providers built in | SDKs only, no prebuilt login UI |
| Performance | 10K+ concurrent realtime connections on a $4 VPS | Per official FAQ (Hetzner CAX11) |
| Admin dashboard + file storage + realtime | Included |
Gotchas that bite people
Pre-1.0 software (v0.40.x) with breaking changes between releases — maintained by one volunteer with explicitly 'no promises for maintenance and support'
Single-node by design — high availability isn't built in; pair with Litestream for SQLite streaming backup
No built-in data import/export helpers — migrating off is DIY
You still need a server to run it on — the 'free' is the software, not the hosting
Notes for developers in India
Self-hosted — run it on any Mumbai VPS for local latency. Pairs well with the cheapest VPS you can find.
Outgrowing the free tier?
When the limits above stop being enough, see our comparison guides for the cheapest reliable upgrade paths — including options with India regions.