APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs PocketBase
Basis Theory
APIs
Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate
- From
- $995/month
- Rated
- -
PocketBase
APIs
Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only PocketBase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.; PocketBase requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, PocketBase covers REST API.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and PocketBase actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD |
| Founded | Unknown | 2021 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Basis Theory
- Tokenisation API
- Hosted elements
- Outbound proxy
- PCI attestation of compliance
- Processor portability
- Reactors
- Access controls and audit
- PII and PHI options
Only in PocketBase
- REST API
- Real-time subscriptions
- Admin UI
- SQLite
- Webhooks
- File storage
- Go support
- Docker support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Basis Theory
- A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot PocketBase
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot PocketBase
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot PocketBase
- A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot PocketBase
PocketBase
- Embedded realtime database with REST APInot Basis Theory
- Backend-as-a-service for single-file deploymentsnot Basis Theory
- Rapid application development with email/OAuth2 authenticationnot Basis Theory
- File storage and media attachment managementnot Basis Theory
- Lightweight alternative to Firebase or traditional backend infrastructurenot Basis Theory
- Go and JavaScript customisable application frameworknot Basis Theory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Basis Theory
- The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
- Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
- Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
- Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
- An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.
PocketBase
- Requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
- No built-in hosting provided
- Community support only
Pricing, plan by plan
Basis Theory
$995/month- Starter$995/month
- 20,000 tokens included
- Production PCI Level 1 environment
- US region only
- Scale$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Higher token volumes
- Additional regions
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
- Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D
PocketBase
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the PocketBase review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Basis Theory if
- You need tokenisation api.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
- You also want hosted elements.
Choose PocketBase if
- You need rest api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
- You also want real-time subscriptions.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or PocketBase better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and PocketBase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or PocketBase?
- PocketBase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $995/month for Basis Theory and Free for PocketBase.
- Does Basis Theory or PocketBase run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. PocketBase runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
- Can I use PocketBase for free?
- Yes. PocketBase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Basis Theory starts at $995/month.
- What is Basis Theory best used for?
- Basis Theory is most often used for a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows, a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer, a fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security review, a team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own servers. Of those, a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows and a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer are not what PocketBase is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that PocketBase cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. PocketBase covers REST API, Real-time subscriptions, Admin UI, SQLite.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?
It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.
PocketBase: How much does PocketBase cost?
PocketBase is completely free and open-source. It is a self-hosted backend solution with database, authentication, and file storage capabilities at no cost.
SourceBasis Theory: What does it cost to start?
995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.
PocketBase: Is PocketBase open-source?
Yes, PocketBase is open-source software. You can download, modify, and deploy it yourself at no cost with no licensing restrictions.
SourceBasis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?
Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.
Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?
Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.
Related pages
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