Softwr

APIs · head to head

PocketBase vs Spring Cloud Gateway

PocketBase logo

PocketBase

APIs

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spring Cloud Gateway logo

Spring Cloud Gateway

APIs

API gateway built on Project Reactor for building microservices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PocketBase requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain; Spring Cloud Gateway released under the Apache 2.0 license, free and open source with no commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: PocketBase covers REST API, Spring Cloud Gateway covers Routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PocketBase and Spring Cloud Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where PocketBase and Spring Cloud Gateway differ
AttributePocketBaseSpring Cloud Gateway
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSDJava, Spring Boot
Founded20211998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 PocketBase

  • REST API
  • Real-time subscriptions
  • Admin UI
  • SQLite
  • Webhooks
  • File storage
  • Go support
  • Docker support

Only in Spring Cloud Gateway

  • Routing
  • Path Rewriting
  • Circuit Breaker
  • Spring Boot
  • Spring Security
  • Spring Cloud
  • Java support
  • Spring Boot support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

PocketBase

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

Spring Cloud Gateway

  • API Developmentnot PocketBase
  • API Gatewaynot PocketBase
  • API Testingnot PocketBase
  • API Documentationnot PocketBase
  • Microservicesnot PocketBase

Where each one falls short

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

PocketBase

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

Spring Cloud Gateway

  • Released under the Apache 2.0 license, free and open source with no commercial tier

Pricing, plan by plan

PocketBase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PocketBase review.

Spring Cloud Gateway

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core Spring Cloud Gateway
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Spring Cloud Gateway if

  • You need routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Java, Spring Boot.
  • You also want path rewriting.
Spring Cloud Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is PocketBase or Spring Cloud Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. PocketBase starts at Free and Spring Cloud Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PocketBase or Spring Cloud Gateway?
PocketBase starts at Free and Spring Cloud Gateway at Free.
Does PocketBase or Spring Cloud Gateway run on more platforms?
PocketBase runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD. Spring Cloud Gateway runs on Java, Spring Boot.
Can I use PocketBase for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PocketBase best used for?
PocketBase is most often used for embedded realtime database with rest api, backend-as-a-service for single-file deployments, rapid application development with email/oauth2 authentication, file storage and media attachment management. Of those, embedded realtime database with rest api and backend-as-a-service for single-file deployments are not what Spring Cloud Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can PocketBase do that Spring Cloud Gateway cannot?
PocketBase covers REST API, Real-time subscriptions, Admin UI, SQLite. Spring Cloud Gateway covers Routing, Path Rewriting, Circuit Breaker, Spring Boot.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Spring Cloud Gateway: Is Spring Cloud Gateway free?

Yes, Spring Cloud Gateway is free and open-source software. It is part of the Spring ecosystem and available through GitHub repositories with open-source dependencies like spring-cloud-starter-gateway-server-webflux and spring-cloud-starter-gateway-server-webmvc.

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
Spring Cloud Gateway: What enterprise support is available for Spring Cloud Gateway?

Tanzu Spring provides optional enterprise support including Day 0 access to security patches for organizations requiring guaranteed support, but specific pricing is not published on the Spring Cloud Gateway project page.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on PocketBase

More on Spring Cloud Gateway

Keep looking

Other head to heads