ADoor vs PocketBase
PocketBase is an open-source backend in one file, with embedded SQLite, auth, file storage and realtime. You host it yourself. ADoor, your data account, is hosted, and keeps records that people, apps and assistants like ChatGPT share with their own access.
Where ADoor stands out
Nothing to host
PocketBase is self-hosted only. ADoor is hosted: sign in, connect an assistant and describe what to keep.
A hosted MCP server
ADoor's MCP server has an OAuth sign-in for ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Cursor, and each assistant gets its own access.
Approvals and history
In ADoor, agents ask for more access and you approve or deny, and a history of changes records who made each one and the before and after.
The products
PocketBase
PocketBase is a Go backend with embedded SQLite in WAL mode, user auth and file storage.
- Hosting
- Self-hosted only
- Database
- Embedded SQLite; no plans for other databases
- Plans
- Free and open source
ADoor
ADoor is your data account. You keep lists and tables in a workspace you own, personal or team: a reading list, an incident log, a list of customers. Describe what you want to keep track of and it's set up for you, with real Postgres underneath. Every person, app, assistant, device and job gets its own access.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Cursor connect through MCP with a sign-in.
- Apps and scripts
- An HTTP API with keys, running the same actions assistants use
- Access
- Per space, list or field, or just the entries where a field equals a value you choose. Reading, adding, editing and deleting entries, and changing a list's fields, are separate permissions. An assistant never gets more than the person who connected it.
- Approvals
- Agents ask for more access and you approve or deny. A new device signs in only after you approve it and choose its access.
- CI jobs
- GitHub Actions signs in with short-lived access, 15 minutes by default and up to 30 days, with no stored secret.
- Revoking
- Takes effect on the next request. What was already saved stays.
- History
- A history of changes, with who made each one and the before and after
- Underneath
- Standard Postgres
- Plans
- Free for 3 tables and 100 rows. Pro is $10 a month per workspace, with 1 GB of storage.
Pricing
| Topic | ADoor | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 3 tables and 100 rows, with a few MB of storage | Free, open source |
| Paid plans | Pro: $10 a month per workspace, 1 GB of storage, no per-GB charges | Not published (self-hosted only) |
Latency
| Topic | ADoor | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| Published figure | Not published | Not published. PocketBase says it can serve 10,000+ realtime connections on a $4 VPS. |
PocketBase publishes a connection count and links benchmarks, not a latency figure. ADoor doesn't publish one.
Connectors and API
| Topic | ADoor | PocketBase |
|---|---|---|
| MCP server | Hosted, with OAuth sign-in. ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Cursor. | Not published |
| HTTP API | HTTP API with keys: read, add, edit, delete, and change lists and fields | REST |
| SQL access | Standard Postgres SQL through MCP and the API, within your access | No |
| Access per agent | Its own access per assistant, app, device and job, down to specific fields, or just the entries that match a value you choose | Not published |
| OAuth or tokens | OAuth for assistants, keys for apps, short-lived sign-in for GitHub Actions | OAuth2 sign-in for your app's users |
| SDKs | Coming soon | Client-side SDKs |
| Webhooks | No | Not published |
| Import and export | Export to CSV or JSON. Import by attaching CSV or JSON in an assistant. | Not published |
ADoor has no sync connectors and no file storage.
Which one should you use?
Use PocketBase when
you want a tiny backend you fully control, for an app with its own users.
- Full control. Run it on any server. ADoor is hosted only.
- Your app's users. 15+ OAuth2 providers for sign-in. Login with ADoor is coming soon, for signing in your app's users.
- Cheap to run. 10,000+ realtime connections on a $4 VPS, by PocketBase's account.
Use ADoor when
you'd rather not run a server, and the records are for people and assistants with their own access.
Technical
- Your PocketBase app forwards abuse reports to an add-only ADoor list, which moderators read in an assistant.
- A GitHub Actions job writes each nightly backup's status with short-lived access.
- A Cursor agent reads your Endpoints list and adds new ones, but can't delete any.
Personal
- Your Etsy orders, shipping dates and which customers have left reviews. You ask ChatGPT what ships tomorrow.
- Flats you've viewed: rent, landlord contacts and what you thought. Your flatmate adds notes.
Team
- Ops, support and finance share a Refund requests list with separate add and edit.
- New laptops sign in only after you approve them.
- A two-person studio shares a Clients list with the freelancer who joins for a month, then revokes it.
Business
- Each store manager edits only their store's stock counts.
- A bookkeeper gets read access for the year-end and is revoked afterwards.
- Shop staff see orders and stock from ChatGPT on their phones, and only the owner sees Margin.
Questions people ask
Can I self-host ADoor?
No. If self-hosting is a requirement, PocketBase fits better.
Is ADoor SQLite?
No. ADoor runs on Postgres.
Which assistants work with ADoor?
ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Cursor connect through MCP with a sign-in. You approve each one and choose what it can reach.
Start
More comparisons
Checked October 20, 2026. Sources: pocketbase.io, PocketBase FAQ.