PocketBase vs Nhost

PocketBase8.2Visit Nhost7.8Visit

Higher score PocketBase #4 in Backend as a Service 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit PocketBase

vs

Nhost #7 in Backend as a Service 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Nhost

• PocketBase fits best

  Small self-hosted apps and prototypes

• Nhost fits best

  GraphQL-first Postgres applications

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Side by side

Feature	PocketBase 8.2/10 Visit ↗	Nhost 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.2	7.8
Ranking	#4 in Backend as a Service	#7 in Backend as a Service
Best for	Small self-hosted apps and prototypes	GraphQL-first Postgres applications
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	$25/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PocketBase 3/4 · Nhost 4/4
Serverless functions	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Realtime data	✓	✓
File storage	✓	✓
Automatic APIs	✓	✓
Specs
Database type	Relational	Relational
Authentication methods	Social	Not checked yet
Free authentication users	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Embedded SQLite, REST-style APIs, realtime SSE, and admin UI Authentication includes email/password, OTP, and OAuth2 Runs across Windows, macOS, Linux, and self-hosted infrastructure	Generated GraphQL queries, mutations, and realtime subscriptions Authentication includes MFA, WebAuthn, OAuth, and magic links Local Docker development, Git deployments, storage, and functions
Cons	Self-hosted deployment requires managing your own infrastructure Backend feature breadth is narrower than broader platforms The project is still under active development and pre-1.0	Team pricing rises to $599 per month Dedicated clusters are an Enterprise add-on GraphQL is central to the platform's API approach
Our verdict	PocketBase is an open-source backend for developers building small applications, prototypes, and self-hosted backends. It runs as a portable application or Go framework and combines an embedded SQLite database with collection-based data… Read the review →	Nhost is a managed backend platform for developers building web and mobile applications around PostgreSQL and GraphQL. Each project gets a dedicated PostgreSQL database, with automatically generated queries, mutations, and realtime… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PocketBase — where it wins

  • Embedded SQLite, REST-style APIs, realtime SSE, and admin UI
  • Authentication includes email/password, OTP, and OAuth2
  • Runs across Windows, macOS, Linux, and self-hosted infrastructure

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires managing your own infrastructure
  • Backend feature breadth is narrower than broader platforms
  • The project is still under active development and pre-1.0

• Nhost — where it wins

  • Generated GraphQL queries, mutations, and realtime subscriptions
  • Authentication includes MFA, WebAuthn, OAuth, and magic links
  • Local Docker development, Git deployments, storage, and functions

  Where it doesn't

  • Team pricing rises to $599 per month
  • Dedicated clusters are an Enterprise add-on
  • GraphQL is central to the platform's API approach

• PocketBase8.2/10 · Free plan

  A focused, self-hosted backend for small apps and prototypes.

  Visit PocketBaseFull verdict →
• Nhost7.8/10 · Free plan

  A capable GraphQL-first backend with PostgreSQL, realtime APIs, and a free starting tier.

  Visit NhostFull verdict →