head to head · open source
react vs PocketBase
react has 250,552 GitHub stars, 51,372 forks, 1,377 open issues and last shipped yesterday. PocketBase has 61,076 stars, 3,689 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. react leads on adoption by 310% (250,552 vs 61,076 stars). react is written in JavaScript under MIT; PocketBase is written in Go under MIT. react has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, PocketBase 6%. react 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
| react | PocketBase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 251K | ★ 61K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 51K | ⑂ 3.7K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick react if
- You weight community size — 251K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick PocketBase if
- You want the PocketBase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and PocketBase fits your workflow better
About react
React is a JavaScript library under the MIT licence for building user interfaces, using a declarative, component based model that renders both on the web and, through React Native, on mobile.
read the full react overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is react or PocketBase more popular?
react has 250,552 GitHub stars and PocketBase has 61,076. react has the larger community by that measure.
Are react and PocketBase free?
Both are open source. react is licensed under MIT and PocketBase under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between react and PocketBase?
react is written in JavaScript and PocketBase in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, react or PocketBase?
Choose react if you want the larger community (250,552 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose PocketBase if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.