PocketBase — Backend in One File for AI Apps

PocketBase Architecture

Single File = Complete Backend

pocketbase (single binary, ~40MB)
├── SQLite Database (embedded)
├── REST API (auto-generated)
├── Real-time Subscriptions (SSE)
├── Authentication (email, OAuth2)
├── File Storage (local or S3)
└── Admin Dashboard (built-in web UI)

Auto-Generated REST API

Create a collection in the admin UI → API endpoints are instantly available:

Authentication

Built-in auth with zero configuration:

# Register a user
curl -X POST http://localhost:8090/api/collections/users/records \
  -d '{"email": "user@example.com", "password": "12345678", "passwordConfirm": "12345678"}'

# Login
curl -X POST http://localhost:8090/api/collections/users/auth-with-password \
  -d '{"identity": "user@example.com", "password": "12345678"}'
# Returns JWT token

OAuth2 providers: Google, GitHub, Facebook, Apple, Discord, Microsoft, and more.

Real-Time Subscriptions

import PocketBase from 'pocketbase';

const pb = new PocketBase('http://localhost:8090');

// Subscribe to changes
pb.collection('messages').subscribe('*', (e) => {
  console.log('New message:', e.record);
});

Use Cases for AI Apps

Extend with Go

package main

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

func main() {
    app := pocketbase.New()

    app.OnServe().BindFunc(func(se *core.ServeEvent) error {
        se.Router.GET("/api/custom/ai-status", func(e *core.RequestEvent) error {
            return e.JSON(200, map[string]string{"status": "running"})
        })
        return se.Next()
    })

    app.Start()
}

FAQ

Q: What is PocketBase? A: PocketBase is an open-source backend with 57,300+ GitHub stars that packages database, auth, file storage, and admin UI into a single executable. Zero dependencies, instant REST APIs.

Q: Why use PocketBase for AI projects? A: AI apps need user auth, data storage, file handling, and real-time updates. PocketBase provides all of these in a single binary you can deploy anywhere — no Docker, no database setup, no infrastructure.

Q: Is PocketBase free? A: Yes, fully open-source under MIT license.