Vibe Coding Tools/Convex
    Convex logo

    Convex

    Database & Storage

    Convex is a full cloud backend designed for modern TypeScript/JavaScript applications that need realtime data, strong transactions, and an integrated developer experience.

    5/5 (1 rating)
    0 views

    Rate this app

    Convex Overview

    Convex is a full cloud backend designed for modern TypeScript/JavaScript applications that need realtime data, strong transactions, and an integrated developer experience. Instead of stitching together a database, serverless functions, cache, and assorted services, Convex provides a single, cohesive backend with ACID-compliant transactional document storage, automatic live updates, file storage, vector/text search, cron scheduling, and a native Actions system for calling external APIs. Its TypeScript-first approach delivers end-to-end type safety, schema generation, and autocompletion, while a built-in web console lets you inspect data, run functions, stream logs, and monitor health—so you can ship faster without babysitting infrastructure. Built for frontend and full‑stack teams working in React, Next.js, and other JS frameworks, Convex is ideal for realtime apps, collaborative tools, dashboards, and AI-enabled products that demand consistency and low-latency updates. It offers a generous free tier for prototypes and personal projects, a Professional seat-based plan for growing teams, and an open-source backend you can self-host with Docker and Postgres. With compliance badges (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR) and a strong developer experience, Convex helps startups and product teams move from idea to production without the overhead of managing SQL, ORMs, and security rules.

    Key Features & Capabilities

    Realtime by default

    Convex tracks function dependencies and automatically pushes updates to subscribed clients over websockets whenever underlying data changes. This provides live, consistent UI updates without custom event plumbing or separate channels for reads and writes.

    ACID transactional document store

    All reads and writes in Convex occur within transactions on a consistent snapshot. You get the flexibility of documents with the reliability of relational-style ACID guarantees, plus optional schema enforcement as your app matures.

    TypeScript-first DX and schema generation

    Write backend functions in TypeScript/JavaScript with end‑to‑end type safety, inference, and autocompletion. Convex can generate schemas from your code and validate at deploy time to keep data and types in sync.

    Built-in backend primitives

    Ship faster with native features: file storage, vector and text search, webhooks, cron/scheduling, and Actions for safely calling external APIs like OpenAI or Stripe—all designed to work together seamlessly.

    In-browser admin console

    Use the Health & Insights dashboard to test functions, inspect/edit data, stream logs, review exceptions, and run preview deployments—no extra tools required to observe and manage your backend.

    Pricing Plans

    Free & Starter

    Free (or $0/month and pay as you go)
    • For 1–6 developers; up to 20 projects
    • Core features: Chef AI app generation, Indexes, File storage, Text + Vector search, Webhooks, Crons, Auth, Automatic caching, Node.js Actions
    • Operations & DX: Health & Insights dashboard, Preview deployments, Log streaming, Exception reporting, Team member permissions, Custom domains
    • Built-in resources: 85,000 Chef tokens/month (then $11 per 1M); 1,000,000 function calls/month (then $2.2 per 1M)
    • Compute & storage: 20 GB-hours Actions (then $0.33/GB-hr); 0.5 GB DB storage (then $0.22/GB/mo); 1 GB DB bandwidth (then $0.22/GB)
    • Files & vectors: 1 GB file storage (then $0.03/GB/mo); 1 GB file bandwidth (then $0.33/GB); 0.5 GB vector storage (then $0.55/GB/mo); 0.5 GB vector bandwidth (then $0.11/GB)
    • Performance: Provisioned resources Good; Query/Mutation concurrency 16; Action concurrency 64; HTTP Action concurrency 16
    • Libraries & APIs: JS/TS, React, Next.js, React Native, Svelte, Node.js, Python, Rust, HTTP API
    • Data movement: CSV upload; Backup/Restore; Automatic backups; Fivetran/Airbyte connectors
    • Support: Community support

    Professional

    $25 per developer/month
    • For growing teams; 100+ projects
    • All Free/Starter features plus higher limits
    • Built-in resources: 500,000 Chef tokens/month (then $10 per 1M); 25,000,000 function calls/month (then $2 per 1M)
    • Compute & storage: 250 GB-hours Actions (then $0.30/GB-hr); 50 GB DB storage (then $0.20/GB/mo); 50 GB DB bandwidth (then $0.20/GB)
    • Files & vectors: 100 GB file storage (then $0.03/GB/mo); 50 GB file bandwidth (then $0.30/GB); 1 GB vector storage (then $0.50/GB/mo); 10 GB vector bandwidth (then $0.10/GB)
    • Performance: Provisioned resources Better; Query/Mutation concurrency 256+; Action concurrency 256+; HTTP Action concurrency 128+
    • Libraries & APIs: JS/TS, React, Next.js, React Native, Svelte, Node.js, Python, Rust, HTTP API
    • Data movement: CSV upload; Backup/Restore; Automatic backups; Fivetran/Airbyte connectors
    • Support: Community + Email support (24 hour response)

    Self-hosted (Open Source)

    Free (self-hosted)
    • Run Convex backend on your own infrastructure
    • Open-source backend with Docker and Postgres setup
    • Develop locally and deploy to any container environment
    • Use the same developer experience and client libraries
    • Community support via Discord and GitHub

    Startups can apply for up to 1 year free of Professional (no seat fees) and 30% off usage-based fees up to $30k. Usage beyond built-in resources on hosted plans is billed at listed overage rates. A pricing estimator is available on the pricing page. Compliance: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR.

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Realtime updates by default with automatic function subscriptions and strong consistency over websockets
    • ACID transactions on a document store—transactions by default without complex rules or ORMs
    • TypeScript-first developer experience with schema generation, inference, and end‑to‑end type safety
    • Integrated backend primitives (file storage, vector/text search, webhooks, crons, Actions) that work out of the box
    • In-browser GUI to test functions, edit data, view logs, exceptions, and preview deployments
    • Open-source backend with a self-hosted option; compliance badges (SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR)

    Cons

    • ×No SQL interface—teams expecting SQL/Postgres extensions must adapt to Convex’s function-based model
    • ×Free/Pro built-in storage and bandwidth limits are lower than some competitors, per their comparisons
    • ×Overage-based pricing on multiple resources can make costs less predictable at scale
    • ×Server functions run only in TypeScript/JavaScript; other server languages require the HTTP client pattern
    • ×No native Messaging API—requires pairing with services like Resend for emails/notifications
    • ×Starter plan concurrency caps (e.g., 16 query/mutation, 64 actions) may constrain heavy realtime workloads

    Alternatives to Convex

    Firebase

    Popular BaaS with Realtime Database/Firestore and functions; Convex emphasizes TypeScript-first DX, ACID transactions, and built-in reactivity without complex security rules.

    Supabase

    Postgres-based alternative with SQL and edge functions; Convex trades SQL for function-based access, automatic realtime consistency, and TypeScript-native schemas.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is Convex a database?

    Yes, but it’s more than a database. Convex is a full cloud backend that replaces your database, backend functions, and much of the server-side glue, exposing a TypeScript-first interface to your application.

    What makes Convex realtime?

    Convex tracks dependencies for every query function and automatically re-runs them when data changes, pushing updates to any active client subscriptions over websockets.

    Where do Convex functions run?

    They run server-side in an isolated execution environment inside the Convex database engine, with efficient access to data, scheduling, storage, and Actions.

    What database does Convex use?

    Convex uses a custom database engine built for live reactivity, incremental schema, and automatic scaling. Durability is provided via a write-ahead log persisted on AWS RDS.

    Can Convex talk to external services like OpenAI or Stripe?

    Yes. Use Actions—Convex’s function type designed for calling external APIs—so third‑party work doesn’t affect database performance while integrating cleanly with queries and mutations.

    Is Convex open source?

    Yes. The Convex backend is open-source and can be self-hosted. Client libraries, utilities, and demos are also available on their GitHub.

    Do I have to use TypeScript to use Convex?

    Server functions run natively in TypeScript/JavaScript. Clients are also available for Python and Rust, and there’s an HTTP client for other languages.

    Can I try Convex for free?

    Yes. There is a Free & Starter plan, and a Professional plan for larger workloads. A startup program offers up to a year free of Professional with additional usage discounts.

    Can I build mobile apps using Convex?

    Yes. Many developers build mobile apps with React Native, and additional mobile support is on the roadmap.

    Get Started Free

    Join thousands of developers who are already using Convex to enhance their workflow and productivity.