head to head · open source
PocketBase vs Onlook
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars, 3,688 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Onlook has 26,752 stars, 2,101 forks, 380 open issues and last shipped 24 days ago. PocketBase leads on adoption by 128% (61,070 vs 26,752 stars). PocketBase is written in Go under MIT; Onlook is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. PocketBase has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Onlook 8%. 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 | Onlook | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 61K | ★ 27K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-08-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 2.1K |
| 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 Onlook if
- You want the Onlook feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Onlook 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 Onlook
Onlook is an open source, Apache 2.0 visual editor for Next.js and TailwindCSS projects that lets designers and developers edit a running React app in the browser while the underlying code changes in real time.
read the full Onlook overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or Onlook more popular?
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars and Onlook has 26,752. PocketBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are PocketBase and Onlook free?
Both are open source. PocketBase is licensed under MIT and Onlook under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PocketBase and Onlook?
PocketBase is written in Go and Onlook 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 Onlook?
Choose PocketBase if you want the larger community (61,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Onlook if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.