PocketBase vs Rowy
| Tagline | Single-file open-source backend: SQLite database, auth, file storage, realtime | Spreadsheet UI over Firestore or PostgreSQL with built-in cloud function automations |
| Category | Databases & Spreadsheets | Databases & Spreadsheets |
| Replaces | Airtable, Google Sheets, Retool | Airtable, Google Sheets, Retool |
| GitHub stars | 43k | 6.2k |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 1/5 Effortless | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | Manual Docker | Manual Docker |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 1 month ago | 6 months ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
PocketBase
- SQLite single-file storage is not suitable for high write-concurrency production workloads
- No built-in spreadsheet-style grid view for non-developers; admin UI is developer-focused
- Horizontal scaling requires additional infrastructure; no native clustering support
Rowy
- Primary backend is Google Firestore; self-hosted PostgreSQL support is less mature
- No offline mode; requires live database connection at all times
- Automation and cloud function execution is tightly coupled to Google Cloud Functions for the Firestore path
Bottom line
Choose PocketBase if you want the lower-effort setup; choose PocketBase for the larger community and ecosystem. PocketBase has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
PocketBase
Single-file open-source backend: SQLite database, auth, file storage, realtime
Rowy
Spreadsheet UI over Firestore or PostgreSQL with built-in cloud function automations