PocketBase Backend Stack

beginner

Open source backend in a single file with real-time database and auth.

Overview

PocketBase is a revolutionary open-source backend-as-a-service that packages a complete backend solution into a single executable file, featuring SQLite as its database engine with built-in real-time subscriptions, authentication, file storage, and an admin dashboard. Developed as a Firebase alternative, PocketBase eliminates the complexity of traditional backend architectures by providing REST and real-time APIs, user management, and database administration out of the box, making it perfect for rapid prototyping and production deployments alike. This stack combines PocketBase with NGINX as a reverse proxy for enhanced security and SSL termination, while Litestream provides automated SQLite database replication to cloud storage services like S3, ensuring data durability and backup capabilities. The combination addresses PocketBase's single-file nature by adding enterprise-grade features like load balancing, caching, and continuous database backup without sacrificing simplicity. This configuration is ideal for developers building modern web applications, mobile app backends, or SaaS platforms who need a complete backend solution without the overhead of managing multiple services, databases, and authentication systems. Startups and solo developers particularly benefit from this stack's minimal operational complexity while maintaining scalability and data protection through automated backups.

Key Features

Built-in real-time database subscriptions with automatic WebSocket connections for live data updates
Complete authentication system with OAuth2, email/password, and custom auth providers
Admin dashboard at /_/ route for database management, user administration, and API rule configuration
Automatic SQLite WAL mode replication to S3, Google Cloud, or Azure via Litestream
NGINX reverse proxy with SSL termination and static file serving optimization
Schema migrations system with JavaScript hooks for custom business logic
File storage with automatic image resizing and thumbnail generation
RESTful APIs with real-time filtering, sorting, and pagination built-in

Common Use Cases

1Rapid MVP development for SaaS applications requiring user authentication and real-time features
2Mobile app backends needing offline-first capabilities with real-time sync
3Small to medium e-commerce platforms with inventory management and order processing
4Content management systems with multi-user collaboration and live editing
5IoT dashboards collecting sensor data with real-time monitoring and alerting
6Educational platforms with student progress tracking and live classroom features
7Team collaboration tools requiring real-time updates and file sharing capabilities

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed with at least 512MB available RAM
Port 80 and 443 available for NGINX, port 8090 for PocketBase admin access
Valid SSL certificates placed in ./certs directory for HTTPS configuration
Litestream configuration file (litestream.yml) with cloud storage credentials
NGINX configuration file (nginx.conf) with PocketBase upstream server settings
Basic understanding of SQLite database concepts and REST API principles

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  pocketbase: 
3    image: ghcr.io/muchobien/pocketbase:latest
4    ports: 
5      - "8090:8090"
6    volumes: 
7      - pocketbase_data:/pb_data
8      - pocketbase_public:/pb_public
9      - pocketbase_migrations:/pb_migrations
10    networks: 
11      - pb-net
12    restart: unless-stopped
13
14  litestream: 
15    image: litestream/litestream:latest
16    volumes: 
17      - pocketbase_data:/data
18      - ./litestream.yml:/etc/litestream.yml:ro
19    command: replicate
20    depends_on: 
21      - pocketbase
22    networks: 
23      - pb-net
24    restart: unless-stopped
25
26  nginx: 
27    image: nginx:alpine
28    ports: 
29      - "80:80"
30      - "443:443"
31    volumes: 
32      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
33      - ./certs:/etc/nginx/certs:ro
34    depends_on: 
35      - pocketbase
36    networks: 
37      - pb-net
38    restart: unless-stopped
39
40volumes: 
41  pocketbase_data: 
42  pocketbase_public: 
43  pocketbase_migrations: 
44
45networks: 
46  pb-net: 
47    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1# PocketBase superuser created on first run
2
3# Litestream S3 backup (optional)
4LITESTREAM_ACCESS_KEY_ID=
5LITESTREAM_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=
6LITESTREAM_BUCKET=

Usage Notes

1PocketBase Admin at http://localhost:8090/_/
2Create admin account on first visit
3Real-time subscriptions built-in
4Litestream for SQLite backups to S3

Individual Services(3 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

pocketbase

pocketbase:
  image: ghcr.io/muchobien/pocketbase:latest
  ports:
    - "8090:8090"
  volumes:
    - pocketbase_data:/pb_data
    - pocketbase_public:/pb_public
    - pocketbase_migrations:/pb_migrations
  networks:
    - pb-net
  restart: unless-stopped

litestream

litestream:
  image: litestream/litestream:latest
  volumes:
    - pocketbase_data:/data
    - ./litestream.yml:/etc/litestream.yml:ro
  command: replicate
  depends_on:
    - pocketbase
  networks:
    - pb-net
  restart: unless-stopped

nginx

nginx:
  image: nginx:alpine
  ports:
    - "80:80"
    - "443:443"
  volumes:
    - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
    - ./certs:/etc/nginx/certs:ro
  depends_on:
    - pocketbase
  networks:
    - pb-net
  restart: unless-stopped

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  pocketbase:
5    image: ghcr.io/muchobien/pocketbase:latest
6    ports:
7      - "8090:8090"
8    volumes:
9      - pocketbase_data:/pb_data
10      - pocketbase_public:/pb_public
11      - pocketbase_migrations:/pb_migrations
12    networks:
13      - pb-net
14    restart: unless-stopped
15
16  litestream:
17    image: litestream/litestream:latest
18    volumes:
19      - pocketbase_data:/data
20      - ./litestream.yml:/etc/litestream.yml:ro
21    command: replicate
22    depends_on:
23      - pocketbase
24    networks:
25      - pb-net
26    restart: unless-stopped
27
28  nginx:
29    image: nginx:alpine
30    ports:
31      - "80:80"
32      - "443:443"
33    volumes:
34      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
35      - ./certs:/etc/nginx/certs:ro
36    depends_on:
37      - pocketbase
38    networks:
39      - pb-net
40    restart: unless-stopped
41
42volumes:
43  pocketbase_data:
44  pocketbase_public:
45  pocketbase_migrations:
46
47networks:
48  pb-net:
49    driver: bridge
50EOF
51
52# 2. Create the .env file
53cat > .env << 'EOF'
54# PocketBase superuser created on first run
55
56# Litestream S3 backup (optional)
57LITESTREAM_ACCESS_KEY_ID=
58LITESTREAM_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=
59LITESTREAM_BUCKET=
60EOF
61
62# 3. Start the services
63docker compose up -d
64
65# 4. View logs
66docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/pocketbase-stack/run | bash

Troubleshooting

PocketBase admin shows 'failed to create admin': Delete the pb_data volume and restart to reset the admin account creation
Litestream 'authentication failed' error: Verify cloud storage credentials in litestream.yml and ensure proper IAM permissions
NGINX 502 Bad Gateway: Check if PocketBase is running on port 8090 and accessible within the pb-net Docker network
Real-time subscriptions not working: Ensure NGINX configuration includes WebSocket upgrade headers for PocketBase connections
SQLite database locked errors: Stop all containers, verify no orphaned PocketBase processes, then restart the stack
SSL certificate errors: Verify certificate files exist in ./certs directory and match the domain names in nginx.conf

Community Notes

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Components

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