vs

PowerSync vs Zero (Rocicorp)

PowerSync: Sync engine that keeps on-device SQLite in sync with Postgres, MongoDB, MySQL or SQL Server. Zero (Rocicorp): Query-driven sync engine: clients run ZQL locally against a Postgres-backed cache for instant UIs.

key differences

  • Licensing: PowerSync is source-available (FSL-1.1-ALv2 (service); Apache-2.0 client SDKs); Zero (Rocicorp) is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in PowerSync and manual in Zero (Rocicorp).
  • Only PowerSync has secondary indexes, json, encryption at rest, offline sync, runs in webassembly.
  • PowerSync can run embedded in your application process.

choose powersync for

  • +Offline-first field-service and inspection apps
  • +Migrating off Realm/Atlas Device Sync
  • +Flutter and React Native apps on a Postgres or MongoDB backend
  • +Local-first web apps with SQLite in the browser

best at · Mobile/offline, Local-first, Embedded

choose rocicorp-zero for

  • +Highly interactive SaaS web apps (issue trackers, editors, dashboards)
  • +Adding instant UI updates over an existing Postgres schema
  • +Replacing Replicache in existing apps

best at · Local-first, OLTP

overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
JourneyApps (Journey Mobile, Inc.)
Rocicorp
First release
2023
2024
Latest version
service 1.27.2 (Oct 24, 2026)
1.11.3 (Oct 23, 2026)
License
Source-availableFSL-1.1-ALv2 (service); Apache-2.0 client SDKs
Open source (permissive)Apache License 2.0
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
23.3
20.8
Rank
#129
#149
GitHub stars
395
3.4K
Stack Overflow questions
–
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
Manual
Multi-region
Read replicas
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Causal, Eventual
Causal
Schema
Strict
Strict
Architecture
Client server, Embedded
Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
✓
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
–
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
✓
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
—
Full-text search
—
—
Vector search
—
—
Geospatial
—
—
JSON
✓
—
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
—
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
—
—
Encryption at rest
✓
—
Role-based access
—
—
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
✓
—
Runs in WebAssembly
✓
—
interfaces
Query languages
SQL (SQLite on device), Sync Rules / Sync Streams (SQL-like)
ZQL
Client languages
Dart, JavaScript, Kotlin, Swift, C#
TypeScript
Best for
Mobile/offline, Local-first, Embedded
Local-first, OLTP

PowerSync vs Zero (Rocicorp): FAQ

What is the difference between PowerSync and Zero (Rocicorp)?

PowerSync: Sync engine that keeps on-device SQLite in sync with Postgres, MongoDB, MySQL or SQL Server. Zero (Rocicorp): Query-driven sync engine: clients run ZQL locally against a Postgres-backed cache for instant UIs. Licensing: PowerSync is source-available (FSL-1.1-ALv2 (service); Apache-2.0 client SDKs); Zero (Rocicorp) is open source (permissive) (Apache License 2.0). Horizontal scaling is native in PowerSync and manual in Zero (Rocicorp). Only PowerSync has secondary indexes, json, encryption at rest, offline sync, runs in webassembly.

When should I choose PowerSync over Zero (Rocicorp)?

Choose PowerSync for offline-first field-service and inspection apps; migrating off Realm/Atlas Device Sync; and flutter and React Native apps on a Postgres or MongoDB backend. Choose Zero (Rocicorp) for highly interactive SaaS web apps (issue trackers, editors, dashboards); adding instant UI updates over an existing Postgres schema; and replacing Replicache in existing apps.

Is PowerSync or Zero (Rocicorp) more popular?

PowerSync ranks #129 on the WhichDB Score (23.3/100) and Zero (Rocicorp) ranks #149 (20.8/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are PowerSync and Zero (Rocicorp) open source?

Not in the OSI sense. PowerSync is source-available: you can read the code, but the license restricts some uses, typically offering it as a competing managed service. License: FSL-1.1-ALv2 (service); Apache-2.0 client SDKs. Yes. Zero (Rocicorp) is open source. License: Apache License 2.0.