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Convex alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Convex: proprietary programming model makes migrating away costly, and per-developer pricing on the Professional plan. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Convex, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Firebase currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Firebase logoFirebaseFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 466.5
2Supabase logoSupabaseFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
3InstantDB logoInstantDBOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 459.6
4Appwrite logoAppwriteOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 457.2
5Gadget logoGadgetFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 355.3
  1. Firebase logo

    1. FirebaseTop pick

    Best for: Mobile and web teams who want realtime sync, auth and push messaging from one vendor

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Convex

    Realtime sync with a far bigger ecosystem and mobile tooling.

    Pros

    • Mature SDKs for Android, iOS, Flutter and web
    • Realtime sync and offline support built into the client libraries
    • Wide set of mobile services such as crash reporting and push messaging

    Cons

    • Ties your app closely to Google Cloud
    • NoSQL query limits often force data duplication
    • Pay-as-you-go bills can spike with heavy reads
    Visit Firebase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Firebase a good Convex alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Spark plan (no-cost)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plan
    Blaze, pay as you go
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Database
    Firestore, a NoSQL document database
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SQL option
    PostgreSQL via Firebase SQL Connect
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Supabase logo

    2. Supabase

    Best for: Developers who want Postgres plus auth, storage and realtime without running servers

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Convex

    SQL and Postgres if you prefer a standard database you can take elsewhere.

    Pros

    • Real Postgres underneath, so SQL, extensions and standard tooling all work
    • Auth, storage, realtime and functions in one dashboard
    • Open source and self-hostable with Docker
    • Large community and many framework guides

    Cons

    • Free projects pause after a week of inactivity
    • Usage charges for compute and egress can be hard to predict
    • Self-hosting the full stack takes real operations work
    Visit Supabase Compare with ConvexDetails and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Supabase a good Convex alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0/month, 2 active projects
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    From $25/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free project pausing
    After 1 week of inactivity
    Checked Oct 25, 2026supabase.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. InstantDB logo

    3. InstantDBAcquired

    Best for: Developers already on Instant, or comfortable self-hosting a realtime sync engine

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Convex

    Similar realtime, client-first model with an open-source engine you can self-host.

    Pros

    • Realtime sync, offline support and optimistic updates built in
    • Open source under Apache 2.0 with a self-hosting guide
    • Auth, permissions, storage and presence included

    Cons

    • Hosted cloud closed to new users and shutting down
    • Future development depends on the community
    • Self-hosting a sync engine is real operational work
    Visit InstantDB Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is InstantDB a good Convex alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Status
    Team joined OpenAI
    Checked Oct 25, 2026instantdb.com(opens source in a new tab)
    New cloud signups
    Closed
    Checked Oct 25, 2026instantdb.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud shutdown
    31 August 2027
    Checked Oct 25, 2026instantdb.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Appwrite logo

    4. Appwrite

    Best for: Flutter and mobile developers who want an open-source Firebase alternative they can self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Convex

    Open-source backend with conventional REST and SDK APIs instead of a custom model.

    Pros

    • Straightforward self-hosting with Docker
    • Broad SDK coverage, especially Flutter and mobile
    • Backend and frontend hosting in one project

    Cons

    • Free cloud projects freeze when they hit a resource limit
    • Smaller ecosystem of third-party guides than Firebase or Supabase
    • Pricing structure has changed several times, which makes planning harder
    Visit Appwrite Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Appwrite a good Convex alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    BSD-3-Clause
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appwrite.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Dedicated database
    From $10/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appwrite.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan limits
    Project freezes at limit
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appwrite.io(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Gadget logo

    5. Gadget

    Best for: JavaScript developers building Shopify apps or small SaaS products who want zero infrastructure

    Free plan + paidWeb

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Convex

    Another TypeScript-centric hosted backend with built-in hosting and integrations.

    Pros

    • Database, API, hosting and environments set up automatically
    • Shopify and BigCommerce connections handle OAuth and webhooks
    • Free Hobby plan to start

    Cons

    • Apps are tied to Gadget, so migrating is a rewrite
    • Seat limits on each plan
    • Less suitable outside JavaScript and TypeScript
    Visit Gadget Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Gadget a good Convex alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Hobby, $0 forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gadget.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $35/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gadget.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    $350/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gadget.dev(opens source in a new tab)

The best Convex alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Firebase logo

Best Convex alternative for most people

Firebase

Realtime sync with a far bigger ecosystem and mobile tooling.

InstantDB logo

Best Convex alternative for a free option

InstantDB

Similar realtime, client-first model with an open-source engine you can self-host.

Supabase logo

Best Convex alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Supabase

SQL and Postgres if you prefer a standard database you can take elsewhere.

Appwrite logo

Best Convex alternative for open source

Appwrite

Open-source backend with conventional REST and SDK APIs instead of a custom model.

Supabase logo

Best Convex alternative for self-hosting

Supabase

SQL and Postgres if you prefer a standard database you can take elsewhere.

Firebase logo

Best Convex alternative for iPhone and Android

Firebase

Realtime sync with a far bigger ecosystem and mobile tooling.

Gadget logo

Best Convex alternative for working in the browser

Gadget

Another TypeScript-centric hosted backend with built-in hosting and integrations.

Convex alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Convex?

Firebase ranks first right now. Realtime sync with a far bigger ecosystem and mobile tooling. Supabase and InstantDB follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Convex?

Yes. Firebase (free plan + paid), Supabase (free plan + paid), InstantDB (open source) and Appwrite (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Convex?

Yes: Supabase, InstantDB and Appwrite. Supabase, InstantDB and Appwrite can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Convex?

The complaints we hear most: proprietary programming model makes migrating away costly; per-developer pricing on the Professional plan; self-hosting is possible but less documented than the cloud.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Convex, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.