head to head · open source
PocketBase vs ProcessWire
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars, 3,688 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ProcessWire has 1,151 stars, 207 forks, 93 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. PocketBase leads on adoption by 5,206% (61,070 vs 1,151 stars). PocketBase is written in Go under MIT; ProcessWire is written in PHP under a custom or non-standard licence. PocketBase has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, ProcessWire 18%. 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 | ProcessWire | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 61K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-11 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 207 |
| 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 ProcessWire if
- You want the ProcessWire feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and ProcessWire 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 ProcessWire
ProcessWire is an open source PHP content management system and framework (CMS/CMF) with a strong API, aimed at web developers, designers, and the clients who maintain the sites they build.
read the full ProcessWire overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or ProcessWire more popular?
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars and ProcessWire has 1,151. PocketBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are PocketBase and ProcessWire free?
Both are open source. PocketBase is licensed under MIT, and ProcessWire has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between PocketBase and ProcessWire?
PocketBase is written in Go and ProcessWire in PHP. 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 ProcessWire?
Choose PocketBase if you want the larger community (61,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ProcessWire if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.