head to head · open source
PocketBase vs ToolJet
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars, 3,688 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ToolJet has 40,936 stars, 5,448 forks, 1,204 open issues and last shipped yesterday. PocketBase leads on adoption by 49% (61,070 vs 40,936 stars). PocketBase is written in Go under MIT; ToolJet is written in JavaScript under AGPL-3.0. PocketBase has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, ToolJet 13%. ToolJet 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 | ToolJet | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 61K | ★ 41K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 5.4K |
| 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 ToolJet if
- You want the ToolJet feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and ToolJet 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 ToolJet
ToolJet is an open source low code platform for building internal tools—admin panels, dashboards, and operational applications—by connecting to existing databases, APIs, and SaaS systems. It lives in the JavaScript ecosystem and is licensed under AGPL 3.0.
read the full ToolJet overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PocketBase or ToolJet more popular?
PocketBase has 61,070 GitHub stars and ToolJet has 40,936. PocketBase has the larger community by that measure.
Are PocketBase and ToolJet free?
Both are open source. PocketBase is licensed under MIT and ToolJet under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PocketBase and ToolJet?
PocketBase is written in Go and ToolJet in JavaScript. 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 ToolJet?
Choose PocketBase if you want the larger community (61,070 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ToolJet if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.