Convex vs Supabase

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Convex

A reactive backend where queries and mutations are TypeScript functions and clients update live.

Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostable

Visit Convex Convex profile

Supabase

Hosted Postgres with auth, storage, realtime and edge functions bundled into one open-source backend.

Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostable

Visit Supabase Supabase profile

The short answer

Supabase suits developers who want a Postgres database with SQL, auth, storage and realtime, and the freedom to take a standard database dump elsewhere. Convex suits TypeScript teams who want the backend to be just functions, with queries that update the UI automatically. The biggest difference is the programming model: Supabase is familiar SQL, while Convex is its own approach that is pleasant to use but costly to migrate away from.

Convex or Supabase: our take

Supabase wraps a dedicated Postgres database with authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, edge functions and vector search. You model data in tables, secure it with row-level security policies, and can use any Postgres tool or extension. Because it is standard Postgres, leaving is a matter of a database dump.

Convex takes a different route. Data lives in a transactional document database, and you write query and mutation functions in TypeScript that run next to it. Client libraries for React and other frameworks subscribe to those queries, so the interface updates on its own when data changes, without writing websocket code. Types flow end to end from database to UI, which also makes it work well with AI coding tools. File storage, scheduled jobs, text and vector search and reusable components are included. The cost is lock-in: moving off Convex means rewriting your data layer.

Both are open source and self-hostable, though most teams on either use the managed cloud, and Convex's self-hosting is less documented. Pricing differs in what it counts. Supabase's free plan is $0/month for 2 active projects, which pause after 1 week of inactivity, and Pro starts from $25/month per organisation plus usage. Convex offers a free tier and pay-as-you-go for small projects, then a Professional plan at $25 per developer/month, so costs grow with team size.

Pick Supabase if you know SQL, have relational data, or value portability. Pick Convex if you are a TypeScript team building a highly interactive, realtime app and prefer writing functions over designing schemas and endpoints.

Choose Convex if…

TypeScript teams building realtime apps who want the backend to be just functions
Live-updating queries without writing websocket code
End-to-end TypeScript types from database to UI

Choose Supabase if…

Developers who want Postgres plus auth, storage and realtime without running servers
Real Postgres underneath, so SQL, extensions and standard tooling all work
Auth, storage, realtime and functions in one dashboard

What is Convex?

Convex is a backend platform built around a transactional document database and server functions written in TypeScript. Instead of writing SQL or REST endpoints, you write query and mutation functions that run next to the data; client libraries for React and other frameworks subscribe to queries, so the interface updates automatically when data changes. File storage, scheduled jobs, text and vector search, auth integrations and a growing library of reusable components are included. Because everything is code with end-to-end types, it works well with AI coding tools, and Convex leans into that. The backend is open source and can be self-hosted, though most teams use the managed cloud. Pricing has a free tier and a pay-as-you-go Starter option for small projects, then a Professional plan charged per developer with higher limits and team features. The trade-off is a programming model specific to Convex, so moving away means rewriting your data layer.

What is Supabase?

Supabase gives every project a dedicated Postgres database and wraps it with the pieces most apps need: user authentication, file storage, realtime subscriptions, auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, edge functions and vector search. Because the core is plain Postgres, you can use SQL, row-level security policies, extensions and any Postgres client, and you can leave with a standard database dump. It is the most common choice for people who want a Firebase-style developer experience without a proprietary NoSQL store, and many AI app builders use it as their default backend. The whole stack is open source and can be self-hosted with Docker, although the self-hosted version needs more care than the managed cloud. Pricing starts with a free tier for small projects, which pauses inactive projects, then a monthly Pro plan per organisation with usage-based charges for compute, storage, egress and monthly active users. Team and Enterprise plans add SSO, compliance and support. Everything is managed from a web dashboard and a CLI.

Side by side

Attribute	Convex	Supabase
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	Yes	Yes
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
Platforms	Web, Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Best for	TypeScript teams building realtime apps who want the backend to be just functions	Developers who want Postgres plus auth, storage and realtime without running servers
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	Convex	Supabase
Free plan	Free or $0/month plus pay as you go	$0/month, 2 active projects