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APIs · head to head

Increase vs PocketBase

Increase logo

Increase

APIs

Direct banking API for ACH, wires, real-time payments, accounts and cards

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PocketBase logo

PocketBase

APIs

Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only PocketBase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Increase the published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.; PocketBase requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
  • They diverge on capability: Increase covers ACH origination and receipt, PocketBase covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Increase and PocketBase actually diverge.

Attributes where Increase and PocketBase differ
AttributeIncreasePocketBase
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAPI, WebLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
FoundedUnknown2021

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 Increase

  • ACH origination and receipt
  • Domestic wires
  • Real-time payments
  • Bank accounts
  • Cards
  • Cheques
  • Sandbox and simulations
  • Audit and reconciliation data

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.

Increase

  • A payroll or treasury product that needs to originate same-day ACH and wires under its own control rather than through a payment processornot PocketBase
  • A marketplace that must hold seller balances in ledgered accounts with real account and routing numbersnot PocketBase
  • A fintech that wants FedNow and RTP payouts so recipients are paid outside banking hoursnot PocketBase
  • An engineering team that needs the underlying return codes and settlement timing visible in order to build correct reconciliation and retry logicnot PocketBase

PocketBase

  • Embedded realtime database with REST APInot Increase
  • Backend-as-a-service for single-file deploymentsnot Increase
  • Rapid application development with email/OAuth2 authenticationnot Increase
  • File storage and media attachment managementnot Increase
  • Lightweight alternative to Firebase or traditional backend infrastructurenot Increase
  • Go and JavaScript customisable application frameworknot Increase

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Increase

  • The published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • Free allowances are deliberately small at ten account numbers and five physical cards, so any programme issuing accounts or cards at volume moves to quoted pricing almost immediately.
  • Banking is provided through partner banks, so programme approval, compliance obligations and the ability to launch at all depend on a bank relationship you do not control, and post-Synapse bank risk appetite has tightened considerably.
  • The API deliberately exposes payment rail mechanics rather than smoothing them, which is correct engineering but means a team without payments expertise will build reconciliation and return handling wrongly and only discover it when funds go astray.
  • Coverage is United States only, so a company with international payout needs runs a second provider and reconciles two ledgers, and the single API argument disappears at the first cross border customer.

PocketBase

  • Requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
  • No built-in hosting provided
  • Community support only

Pricing, plan by plan

Increase

On request
  • Increase Platform$undefined/month
    • Monthly fee quoted by use case and not published
    • Next-day ACH origination listed at 0.50 US dollars per transaction
    • Same-day ACH origination listed at 2.00 per transaction

PocketBase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PocketBase review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Increase if

  • You need ach origination and receipt.
  • You work on API, Web.
  • You also want domestic wires.
Increase review

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.
PocketBase review

Questions people ask

Is Increase or PocketBase better?
Neither clearly leads. Increase starts at On request and PocketBase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Increase or PocketBase?
PocketBase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Increase and Free for PocketBase.
Does Increase or PocketBase run on more platforms?
Increase runs on API, Web. 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. Increase starts at On request.
What is Increase best used for?
Increase is most often used for a payroll or treasury product that needs to originate same-day ach and wires under its own control rather than through a payment processor, a marketplace that must hold seller balances in ledgered accounts with real account and routing numbers, a fintech that wants fednow and rtp payouts so recipients are paid outside banking hours, an engineering team that needs the underlying return codes and settlement timing visible in order to build correct reconciliation and retry logic. Of those, a payroll or treasury product that needs to originate same-day ach and wires under its own control rather than through a payment processor and a marketplace that must hold seller balances in ledgered accounts with real account and routing numbers are not what PocketBase is typically brought in for.
What can Increase do that PocketBase cannot?
Increase covers ACH origination and receipt, Domestic wires, Real-time payments, Bank accounts. PocketBase covers REST API, Real-time subscriptions, Admin UI, SQLite.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Increase: Does Increase publish its pricing?

Partly. Per transaction fees for ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow and cards are listed publicly. The monthly platform fee is not, and it is described only as varying by use case.

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.

Source
Increase: Who holds the deposits?

Partner banks, not Increase itself. That relationship determines your programme approval, your compliance obligations and your risk if the bank changes appetite.

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.

Source
Increase: Is it international?

No. Increase covers United States rails only, so cross border payouts require a second provider.

Increase: How is it different from a middleware BaaS platform?

It exposes the rails rather than abstracting them, showing real return codes and settlement timing. That suits teams who understand payments and punishes teams who do not.

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