head to head · open source
PocketBase vs Budibase
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars, 3,688 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Budibase has 28,289 stars, 2,218 forks, 276 open issues and last shipped yesterday. PocketBase leads on adoption by 116% (61,070 vs 28,289 stars). PocketBase is written in Go under MIT; Budibase is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. PocketBase has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Budibase 8%. Budibase was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| PocketBase | Budibase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 61K | ★ 28K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PocketBase if
- You weight community size — 61K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Budibase if
- You want the Budibase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Budibase fits your workflow better
About PocketBase
PocketBase is an open source backend framework written in Go that bundles a SQLite database, authentication, file storage, admin dashboard, and REST API into a single executable file. It lives in the Go ecosystem and targets developers who want a lightweight, self contained backend without managing separate services like PostgreSQL, Redis, or a separate auth server.
read the full PocketBase overview →
About Budibase
Budibase is an open source low code platform for building internal tools, data apps, and AI powered agents that automate operational workflows. It lives in the low code/no code ecosystem and serves as a self hostable alternative to proprietary platforms like Retool.
read the full Budibase overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or Budibase more popular?
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars and Budibase has 28,289. PocketBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are PocketBase and Budibase free?
Both are open source. PocketBase is licensed under MIT, and Budibase has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between PocketBase and Budibase?
PocketBase is written in Go and Budibase in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, PocketBase or Budibase?
Choose PocketBase if you want the larger community (61,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Budibase if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.