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Cybersecurity · head to head

Ory vs PocketBase

Ory logo

Ory

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity, authentication, and permissions infrastructure

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Ory production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.; PocketBase requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
  • They diverge on capability: Ory covers Authentication APIs, PocketBase covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ory and PocketBase actually diverge.

Attributes where Ory and PocketBase differ
AttributeOryPocketBase
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Platformsweb, apiLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
CategoryCybersecurityAPIs
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Ory

  • Authentication APIs
  • Permissions engine
  • Machine-to-machine tokens
  • B2B organizations
  • SAML SSO
  • Multi-region deployments

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.

Ory

  • Adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new productnot PocketBase
  • Implementing fine-grained permission checksnot PocketBase
  • Supporting B2B organizations and multi-tenancynot PocketBase
  • Building machine-to-machine authentication for microservicesnot PocketBase

PocketBase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Ory

  • Production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.
  • SAML SSO and multi-region deployments are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Usage-based pricing across aDAU, M2M tokens, and permission checks makes cost estimation more complex than flat per-MAU billing.

PocketBase

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Ory

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Community support
    • No production environments
  • Production$64/month
    • $21 monthly credit included
    • 1 production environment
    • 3 staging environments
  • Growth$779/month
    • $255 monthly credit included
    • 2 production environments
    • B2B organizations (max 3)

PocketBase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PocketBase review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Ory if

  • You need authentication apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want permissions engine.
Ory 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 Ory or PocketBase better?
Neither clearly leads. Ory starts at Free and PocketBase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ory or PocketBase?
Ory starts at Free and PocketBase at Free.
Does Ory or PocketBase run on more platforms?
Ory runs on web, api. PocketBase runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
Can I use Ory for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Ory best used for?
Ory is most often used for adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new product, implementing fine-grained permission checks, supporting b2b organizations and multi-tenancy, building machine-to-machine authentication for microservices. Of those, adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new product and implementing fine-grained permission checks are not what PocketBase is typically brought in for.
What can Ory do that PocketBase cannot?
Ory covers Authentication APIs, Permissions engine, Machine-to-machine tokens, B2B organizations. PocketBase covers REST API, Real-time subscriptions, Admin UI, SQLite.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ory: What does Ory cost?

Ory has a free Developer tier, a Production plan at $770/year including a $21 monthly credit, a Growth plan at $9,350/year including a $255 monthly credit, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
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
Ory: How is usage metered?

Beyond the included credit, Ory charges per average daily active user (aDAU), per machine-to-machine token, and per permission check, with lower per-unit rates on the Growth plan.

Source
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
Ory: What payment methods are supported?

Ory accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) and bank transfer, processed via Stripe.

Source
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