head to head · open source
PocketBase vs Palform
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars, 3,688 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Palform has 45 stars, 2 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. PocketBase leads on adoption by 135,611% (61,070 vs 45 stars). PocketBase is written in Go under MIT; Palform is written in Rust under AGPL-3.0. PocketBase has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Palform 4%. 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 | Palform | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 61K | ★ 45 |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-08-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 2 |
| 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 Palform if
- You want the Palform feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Palform 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 Palform
Palform is an open source form builder built around end to end encryption, released under the AGPL 3.0 license. It is written primarily in Rust and JavaScript, and it lives in the Rust ecosystem: the backend uses the Rocket web framework with SeaORM, while encryption and shared logic are compiled to WebAssembly so that the same code runs in the browser and on the server. The entire codebase is open source, including the marketing pages, and this repository is stated to contain everything needed to operate the service. A free hosted instance runs at palform.app on European hosted servers.
read the full Palform overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or Palform more popular?
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars and Palform has 45. PocketBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are PocketBase and Palform free?
Both are open source. PocketBase is licensed under MIT and Palform under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PocketBase and Palform?
PocketBase is written in Go and Palform in Rust. 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 Palform?
Choose PocketBase if you want the larger community (61,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Palform if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.