Pocketbase – open-source realtime back end in 1 file

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

The discussion revolves around a low-overhead, embedded backend solution built primarily on SQLite. Here are the three most prevalent themes:

1. Definition and Comparison to Supabase/Firebase Alternatives

A significant portion of the discussion centers on defining what PocketBase is, often comparing it directly to established BaaS (Backend-as-a-Service) platforms. Users confirm it functions as a service layer over SQLite, providing REST APIs, authentication, and usually an admin UI.

Supporting Quote: Regarding its core function, one user summarized it: "It makes SQLite a service that provides you with an authenticated data access layer via a REST API. It is not a wrapper although it does use SQLite as its database," according to "odie5533".
Supporting Quote: When comparing complexity, one user highlighted its main advantage: "One binary to manage one sqlite file is indeed quite a selling point in comparison to this: https://github.com/supabase/supabase/blob/master/docker/dock..." stated "input_sh".

2. Operational Simplicity vs. Scalability Concerns

Users overwhelmingly praise the operational simplicity of managing a single Go binary file, especially compared to multi-container solutions like self-hosted Supabase. However, this simplicity raises questions about performance under heavy load and handling complex operations like bulk deletion.

Supporting Quote: The argument for simplicity winning over premature complexity was strong: "We’ve normalized a complexity tax where every side project "needs" a dedicated DB cluster and a Redis cache. Pocketbase proves that for 99% of CRUD apps, the bottleneck isn't the database—it's the network latency and the developer's time spent managing k8s manifests," noted "leo_e".
Supporting Quote (Counterpoint): A critique noted that SQLite's layer introduces performance bottlenecks under certain conditions: "I am so confused about this message. Sounds like an sqllite performance tuning issue than anything else," said "coolgoose" in response to a user experiencing slowdowns on bulk operations.

3. Admin UI/UX Critique and Developer Experience

While the project is generally well-received, a specific point of friction is the mobile optimization of the built-in admin user interface, often contrasted favorably against a competitor, TrailBase, which actively engaged with this feedback.

Supporting Quote (Negative UX): A dedicated user voiced their frustration: "My biggest gripe with it by far is that the web interface is not phone-optimised at all, which prevents me from quickly correcting a field or two when I'm not behind a computer," noted "input_sh".
Supporting Quote (Comparison): The developer of the competitor acknowledged this: "You won't get any argument here. PocketBase's is very polished and friendly," admitted "trailbase" (the TrailBase developer).

🚀 Project Ideas

SQLite to RTDB Migration Assistant (SRMA)

Summary

A tool designed to solve the operational pain points and migration anxiety associated with moving from PocketBase/SQLite to a more robust, distributed database like PostgreSQL (as used by Supabase), while respecting the "single binary simplicity" appeal.
Core value proposition: Provide a safe path for users who love PocketBase's simplicity but need commercial-grade uptime and scaling mechanisms (like those offered by Postgres/Supabase).

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Current or former PocketBase users scaling up, developers looking to evaluate the migration gap between SQLite-based BaaS and Postgres-based BaaS options (like Supabase).
Core Feature	A command-line utility that analyzes a PocketBase SQLite database schema, suggests the equivalent PostgreSQL schema (handling SQLite-specific types like lack of native `DECIMAL` or `DATETIME` workarounds), and facilitates bulk data migration via generated scripts/APIs.
Tech Stack	Go (for easy binary distribution, mirroring PocketBase's stack), standard SQL generation libraries, potentially leveraging LiteFS or similar tools for replication comparison data.
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: Addresses direct migration concerns (jdthedisciple: "How easily can I migrate from an existing sqlite-based backend?"). It also speaks to the tension between simplicity (SQLite) and production readiness (Postgres/Supabase users like postbase and odie5533).
Potential for discussion or practical utility: Provides a concrete answer for users worried about the hard switch (Humphrey: "Pocketbase is opinionated in how it's schema is structured... if it was me, I would use the Admin UI to create a new db..."). This tool automates that manual step.

Mobile-First Admin UI Comparator Toolkit

Project Title

Mobile-First Admin UI Comparator Toolkit

Summary

A specialized tool/service that provides detailed, cross-platform mobile usability audits for self-hosted BaaS solutions like PocketBase and TrailBase.
Core value proposition: Objectively measure and compare the mobile administrative experience, addressing direct user grievances about usability on phones.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Developers evaluating self-hosted backend tools, especially those who need to make quick data adjustments on the go.
Core Feature	Automated web scraping and simulation of common admin tasks (record editing, searching, viewing lists) across various viewport sizes, generating a quantifiable 'Mobile UX Score' for the admin interface.
Tech Stack	Python (Selenium/Playwright for automated interaction), HTML/JS for a centralized dashboard to display scores and captured viewport screenshots.
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: Directly solves a major complaint mentioned by input_sh: "My biggest gripe with it by far is that the web interface is not phone-optimised at all." It also relates to the comparison between PocketBase and TrailBase's UIs (rudedogg and trailbase discussing mobile optimization).
Potential for discussion or practical utility: It could spur competitive improvements in admin UI development. A developer could run this pre-emptively on their own deployment for a quick health check.

LLM-Aware API Definition Generator for Niche Backends

Project Title

LLM-Aware API Definition Generator for Niche Backends

Summary

A utility that ingests a project's local PocketBase schema definition (from migration files or manual exports) and generates highly structured, annotated documentation (e.g., OpenAPI specs, detailed Markdown) specifically aimed at improving LLM coherence.
Core value proposition: Mitigates the documented failure of generating correct code by providing LLMs with a canonical, context-rich source of truth for niche APIs like PocketBase.

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Developers using PocketBase who rely on LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini) for code snippets or integration logic.
Core Feature	Tool generates documentation that explicitly calls out API quirks, deprecations (due to frequent updates), and expected response structures that might confuse general-purpose LLMs (`p2detar` noted LLMs are out of date). It could optionally include specific in-context examples for common CRUD operations.
Tech Stack	Go (to read PocketBase schema), integrating with an output generator library (like `go-swagger` concepts, adapted for simple Markdown/JSON schema).
Difficulty	Low/Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Why HN commenters would love it: Directly addresses the frustration echoed by parkersweb: "LLMs seem to be permanently confused over how to interact with pocketbase." This tool provides the 'hand-holding' documentation that input_sh alluded to needing ("If you don't have the time to at least skim through the documentation...").
Potential for discussion or practical utility: It touches on the general problem of applying LLMs to fast-moving, niche open-source projects, opening up discussion on best practices for model training/prompt engineering in these scenarios.