2026-08-13 · 7 min read

Rapibase, Supabase, or PocketBase? Which backend fits your case

“Which database should I use?” is usually the wrong question. The real one is: which complete backend fits me — database, user auth, storage, realtime — for the way I build? Here we compare three open source options that cover that whole package: PocketBase, Supabase, and Rapibase. All three are good; they shine in different cases.

What they share

All three give you the essentials of a backend without writing them: users with login, a database with an API, files, and live data. All three are open source and can be self-hosted. The differences are the database inside, the pricing model, and — more and more — how they work with AI agents.

PocketBase: the perfect binary for small projects

PocketBase is a single Go binary with SQLite inside. That makes it unbeatable on simplicity: drop it on a $4 VPS, start it, and you have a backend. For a side project, a prototype, or an internal app, it's an excellent choice.

Its limits come from that same design: SQLite writes from a single process (limited write concurrency), there is no official managed service (backups, TLS, and upgrades are yours to run), and extending it means JavaScript hooks or recompiling Go.

Supabase: the giant ecosystem on Postgres

Supabase is probably the most popular BaaS built on Postgres: mature SDKs, edge functions, a very complete dashboard, and a huge community. If your team lives in the JavaScript ecosystem and wants enterprise features, it's a great option.

What's worth reading carefully is the pricing model: per their published pricing as of the date of this article, the paid plan combines a base fee with costs that grow with usage (compute per project, active users, storage, bandwidth…). It works well early on; as the app grows, the bill needs attention. Supabase also offers MCP for agents — the difference with Rapibase is the approach, not whether it exists.

Rapibase: dedicated instance, agents first, flat price

Rapibase starts from a different idea: every project is a dedicated instance — your own full Postgres 16 (with pgvector for embeddings), your auth, your S3 storage, your realtime, and your TypeScript functions, isolated from every other customer. You share a database with nobody, and you can connect straight over psql.

And it's built for developing with AI agents from minute one: every project exposes an MCP server with 17 tools (schema, CRUD, SQL, row-level security, storage) and a SKILL.md you install into Claude Code, OpenCode, or Codex with one command. The agent creates the schema, sets up security, writes the functions, and ships the frontend — you describe the app.

The price is flat: $20 per project per month, with no charge for users, requests, or rows. Pause a project and it stops billing.

Quick comparison

So which one do I pick?

• PocketBase if it's a side project, you want to self-host on a minimal VPS, and SQLite is enough for you.
• Supabase if your team wants the biggest JS ecosystem and isn't put off by a price that grows with usage.
• Rapibase if you build with AI agents, want a real Postgres that is yours alone, and prefer knowing exactly what you'll pay each month.

Published August 13, 2026. Supabase and PocketBase are trademarks of their respective owners; everything stated about them comes from their documentation and public pricing as of the publication date and may change. If you spot something out of date, write to us and we'll correct it.