Convex
The reactive backend platform that keeps your app in sync
About Convex
Convex is a reactive Backend-as-a-Service platform featuring a real-time document database, serverless TypeScript functions, and automatic client-server sync. It provides ACID-compliant transactions with serializable isolation, built-in authentication, file storage, full-text search, scheduled functions, and cron jobs. Convex went open-source in February 2025, enabling self-hosted deployments alongside its managed cloud offering.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Exceptional developer experience with end-to-end TypeScript type safety and IDE autocomplete across frontend and backend
- Zero-config real-time sync eliminates the need for WebSockets, cache invalidation, or state managers
- Full ACID transactions with automatic conflict retries make data consistency effortless
- Frontend developers can build robust backends without configuring Docker, databases, or Redis
- Open-source self-hosting option reduces vendor lock-in concerns
- Generous free tier with 1M function calls suits prototypes and side projects
Cons
- Document database model makes complex multi-table joins and analytical SQL queries difficult compared to PostgreSQL
- Vendor lock-in risk — migrating away requires rewriting backend logic since Convex functions are platform-specific
- Limited language support beyond TypeScript narrows the developer audience
- Usage-based pricing can become unpredictable and expensive as applications scale
- Relatively new ecosystem with smaller community compared to established alternatives like Firebase or Supabase
Key Features
Reactive Real-Time Database
Document database with automatic real-time sync — UI updates instantly as data changes with no manual state management, cache invalidation, or WebSocket configuration needed
TypeScript-Native Functions
Write queries, mutations, and actions in pure TypeScript with end-to-end type safety, IDE autocomplete, and automatic schema validation
ACID Transactions
Full ACID compliance with serializable isolation and optimistic concurrency control — entire mutation functions run as atomic transactions with automatic conflict retries
Built-In Authentication
Integrated auth system supporting multiple providers, with session management and user identity available directly in backend functions
Serverless Functions & Cron Jobs
Deploy backend logic as serverless functions with built-in scheduling, cron jobs, and the ability to kick off long-running AI workflows
File Storage
Native file storage with upload, download, and URL generation built into the platform — no external object storage setup required
Full-Text Search
Built-in text search engine for querying documents without needing an external search service like Elasticsearch or Algolia
Open-Source Self-Hosting
Self-host the Convex backend on your own infrastructure with support for Postgres, SQLite, Neon, Fly.io, and more — includes dashboard and CLI
Pricing
- 1M function calls/month
- 0.5GB database storage
- 1GB file storage
- Community support
- All core features
- Higher resource limits
- Preview deployments
- Priority support
- Enterprise-grade security
- Team collaboration tools
- Advanced telemetry
- Compliance & auditing
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Custom SLAs
- Dedicated support
Best For
Real-Time Collaborative Apps
Build multiplayer experiences, collaborative editors, and live dashboards with automatic real-time sync across all connected clients
AI-Powered Applications
Create AI workflows with serverless backend functions that orchestrate LLM calls, vector searches, and long-running pipelines
Rapid MVP Development
Frontend developers can ship full-stack prototypes fast using TypeScript everywhere with zero infrastructure configuration
Chat & Messaging Platforms
Reactive queries make real-time messaging seamless without manually managing WebSocket connections or polling
SaaS Products
Build production-grade SaaS applications with built-in auth, file storage, and transactional data guarantees out of the box
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Featured In
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