head to head · open source
PocketBase vs KeystoneJS
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars, 3,688 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. KeystoneJS has 9,974 stars, 1,263 forks, 138 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. PocketBase leads on adoption by 512% (61,070 vs 9,974 stars). PocketBase is written in Go under MIT; KeystoneJS is written in TypeScript under MIT. PocketBase has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, KeystoneJS 13%. PocketBase 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 | KeystoneJS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 61K | ★ 10.0K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 1.3K |
| 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 KeystoneJS if
- You want the KeystoneJS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and KeystoneJS 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 KeystoneJS
KeystoneJS is an open source Node.js CMS and application framework written in TypeScript and licensed under the MIT License. It lives in the Node.js, GraphQL, and React ecosystem, and its GitHub description calls it a headless CMS for Node.js. The project addresses the need to build a custom back end without writing all of the common content management plumbing by hand.
read the full KeystoneJS overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or KeystoneJS more popular?
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars and KeystoneJS has 9,974. PocketBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are PocketBase and KeystoneJS free?
Both are open source. PocketBase is licensed under MIT and KeystoneJS under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PocketBase and KeystoneJS?
PocketBase is written in Go and KeystoneJS 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 KeystoneJS?
Choose PocketBase if you want the larger community (61,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose KeystoneJS if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.