Build a Full Backend in 5 Minutes with PocketBase – the 56k‑Star Open‑Source BaaS

Introduction

PocketBase is an open‑source backend written in Go that bundles an embedded SQLite database, real‑time subscriptions, built‑in authentication, file storage, an admin UI and a simple REST API into a single executable. It aims to let front‑end or full‑stack developers obtain a fully functional backend in minutes, so they can focus on business logic and user experience.

Core Features

Embedded database: Uses SQLite stored in a single file, no separate DB server required.

Authentication: Email/password and OAuth2 (Google, Facebook, GitHub, etc.) with JWT tokens and password‑reset flow.

File storage: Supports local storage or S3‑compatible cloud storage with access‑control policies.

Real‑time data sync: WebSocket and SSE based subscriptions allow clients to listen to record or collection changes.

Admin UI: Built‑in dashboard for managing collections, users, files and API logs, with automatic API documentation.

Automatic API: Generates RESTful endpoints from data models automatically.

Frontend SDKs: JavaScript and Dart SDKs simplify integration with Angular, React, Vue, Flutter, Svelte and other frameworks.

Quick Start

Download the pre‑compiled binary for your platform from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, unzip it, and run a single command: ./pocketbase serve The first launch opens an installation page in the browser, guiding you to create a super‑admin account. After that, a backend service with database, API and admin UI runs locally at http://127.0.0.1:8090.

For library integration, a minimal Go program is equally concise:

package main

import (
    "log"
    "github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase"
)

func main() {
    app := pocketbase.New()
    // add custom routes or hooks here
    if err := app.Start(); err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
}

Interface Preview

Images show the user‑management screen, API configuration, file storage view, and backup/recovery UI.

Open‑Source Repository

Source code and releases are available at https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase.