DreamFactory vs PocketBase
DreamFactory
dreamfactory.com
PocketBase
pocketbase.ioSide by side
| Figure | DreamFactory | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1,500/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · API Generation Software | 8.5 (#2) | 7.8 (#10) |
| Access controls | Role-based access controls can restrict API endpoints, tables, fields, operations, and rows, with identity passthrough. | Collection API rules control list, view, create, update, and delete access, and can also filter records. |
| Authentication | Its authentication options include OAuth, Active Directory, LDAP, OpenID, Okta, Auth0, and SAML. | Auth options include password, OTP, OAuth2, and optional multi-factor authentication. |
| Deployment | DreamFactory can run on Linux servers, virtual machines, Docker containers, and Kubernetes, including in air-gapped environments. | PocketBase is self-hosted only and can be deployed as a portable executable without external dependencies. |
Plans
DreamFactory
- Open SourceFree
- DF Linux Lite$1,500 a month
- DF Linux Professional$4,000 a month
- DF Docker/Kubernetes$6,000 a month
- DF Kubernetes$6,000 a month
- Federal and Enterprise DockerPriced on request
In their own words
DreamFactory
DreamFactory is a self-hosted data access platform and AI data gateway that provides governed API access to data sources. It generates documented REST APIs with CRUD operations and query options such as filtering, pagination, and sorting. The company says it supports more than 30 databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and SAP HANA. Role-based controls can limit access by endpoint, table, field, operation, or row, while authentication options include OAuth, Active Directory, LDAP, OpenID, Okta, Auth0, and SAML. API calls are logged with user identity, with an ELK stack for traffic reporting. Server-side scripts can run before or after endpoints in Node.js, PHP, or Python. A built-in MCP server exposes databases, file stores, and stored procedures as tools, and its LLM gateway can route application traffic to several named model providers. Deployment options include Linux servers, virtual machines, Docker, and Kubernetes, including air-gapped environments. A free open-source plan includes a PostgreSQL connector; paid plans start at $1,500 a month billed annually. The company describes the platform as intended for seasoned developers and data architects.
PocketBase
PocketBase has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.