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Clerk vs PocketBase
Side-by-side comparison of Clerk and PocketBase.
Quick summary
Clerk — Authentication and user management. Clerk provides drop-in authentication, user management, and organizations with pre-built UI components.
PocketBase — Open source backend in 1 file. PocketBase is an open-source Go backend, bundled as a single executable, with embedded SQLite, auth, realtime, and admin UI.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Clerk | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $25/mo | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| MFA | Yes | — |
| SAML/SSO | Yes | — |
| Free Tier | 10k MAU | Unlimited (self-host) |
| Self-hosted | No | Yes |
| Pre-built UI | Yes | — |
| Social Login | Yes | — |
| Organizations | Yes | — |
| Auth | — | Yes |
| Storage | — | Yes |
| Database | — | SQLite |
| Realtime | — | Yes |
| Edge Functions | — | No |
| Row Level Security | — | Yes |
Clerk
Authentication and user management
Pros
- Beautiful pre-built components
- Organizations and B2B features
- Great Next.js integration
Cons
- Vendor lock-in on auth layer
- Gets expensive at scale
PocketBase
Open source backend in 1 file
Pros
- Zero-config single binary
- Fast and lightweight
- Great for small-to-medium apps
Cons
- SQLite limits horizontal scale
- Single maintainer
- No managed cloud offering
Which should you choose?
Choose Clerk if a free tier is important for your stage. Choose PocketBase if you value open source and want the option to self-host, and a free tier is important for your stage.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Clerk or PocketBase?
There is no universal “better.” For most teams, PocketBase is the safer default because PocketBase is open source, which means you can self-host and avoid vendor lock-in. Clerk is proprietary. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.
Is Clerk cheaper than PocketBase?
Clerk starts at $25/mo, while PocketBase starts at Free. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.
Can I migrate from Clerk to PocketBase?
Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Clerk-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most authentication migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.
Is Clerk or PocketBase open source?
PocketBase is open source; Clerk is a proprietary managed service.
Does Clerk or PocketBase have a free tier?
Both Clerk and PocketBase offer a free tier.
Which is best for startups and indie hackers?
Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. The one with the most generous free tier here is Clerk. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.