Overview

Convex is a reactive backend-as-a-service with real-time sync, scheduled functions, and file storage. It handles real-time sync, server functions, file storage, and scheduling, and it's best suited for full-stack developers wanting a reactive backend. It has been around since 2021, giving it a 5-year head start in building out integrations and refining the product.

The free plan is free for small projects — enough for most people to evaluate whether it fits. It's designed for small teams, striking a balance between simplicity and collaboration features.

Strengths

  • Includes Real-Time Sync as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows
  • Includes Server Functions as a core feature, purpose-built for database workflows
  • Free for small projects — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
  • Includes file storage alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

  • Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
  • Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
  • Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in database
  • Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Quick info

Category
Database
Starting price
Free
Free tier
Yes — Free for small projects
Open source
No
Best for
Small teams
Founded
2021

Last updated 2026-04-12

Top alternatives to Convex

1
MongoDB Atlas Free tier

Managed MongoDB service with auto-scaling, full-text search, and multi-cloud support.

Free M0 cluster · Free Teams wanting managed NoSQL database in the cloud
Document DB Search Charts Multi-Cloud
2
CockroachDB Free tier Open Source

Distributed SQL database designed for global scale, resilience, and strong consistency.

Free 10 GiB · Free Teams wanting distributed SQL that survives anything
Distributed SQL Multi-Region Serverless PostgreSQL Compatible
3
Upstash Free tier

Serverless Redis, Kafka, and QStash with per-request pricing for edge and serverless.

Free 10K commands/day · Free Serverless developers wanting Redis and Kafka at the edge
Serverless Redis Kafka QStash Edge
4
Hasura Free tier Open Source

Instant GraphQL and REST APIs on Postgres, SQL Server, and other data sources.

Free for 1 project · Free Developers wanting instant GraphQL APIs on their database
GraphQL Real-Time Auth Remote Schemas
5
Prisma Free Open Source

Next-generation ORM for Node.js and TypeScript with type safety and migrations.

Free Node.js/TypeScript developers wanting a modern ORM
Type-Safe ORM Migrations Prisma Studio Multi-DB

See all 6 alternatives →

Convex comparisons

More Database tools

See all Database tools →

Explore more