Top Convex Alternatives in 2026
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Suggest a change- If you want a real Postgres database you can connect any client, ORM, or BI tool to directly, choose Supabase. Supabase gives you a real hosted Postgres instance instead of Convex's proprietary reactive database, so existing SQL tooling, migrations, and ORMs carry over without rework.
- If you're building a mobile-first app for Android, iOS, or Flutter and want push notifications built in, choose Firebase. Firebase's mobile SDKs are more mature for native mobile than Convex's, and Cloud Messaging stays free at any volume even on the paid Blaze plan.
- If you want the option to self-host for free instead of paying Convex's metered cloud bill, choose Appwrite. Appwrite's core server is open source and free to run yourself, and its Cloud plan publishes real per-project prices instead of Convex's quote-only Business and Enterprise tiers.
- If you're a solo developer or small team who wants zero cloud bill and full control of the server, choose PocketBase. PocketBase runs as one free binary with an embedded database, so there's no usage-based pricing at all, unlike Convex's per-function-call and per-GB egress charges.
- If your team already builds around Hasura-style GraphQL permissions, choose Nhost. Nhost pairs managed Postgres with a Hasura-compatible GraphQL API, a model Convex doesn't offer since it only exposes TypeScript functions.
- If you want reactive queries that update your frontend automatically without writing subscriptions yourself, and you're fine paying $25/seat once you outgrow the free tier, choose stay on Convex. no alternative here matches how tightly Convex's reactivity is built into its own TypeScript functions and query model.
Convex bundles a database, TypeScript functions, file storage, and real-time queries into one hosted backend, which is exactly what you want until the bill grows past the $25/seat Professional plan or you need a database other tools can connect to directly. Business plans start at a $2,500/month minimum and Enterprise pricing needs a sales call, and Convex's own database is proprietary rather than standard SQL, both of which push some teams to look elsewhere before they hit that wall.
The tools below are the ones a Convex buyer actually cross-shops: hosted backends that also give you a database, auth, storage, and functions out of the box, not point solutions for just one of those pieces. All five are real substitutes for the same job, but they solve it in different ways, from Supabase's real Postgres to PocketBase's single free binary.
Convex alternatives compared
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free option | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SupabaseBest for a real SQL database | Developers who want real Postgres with auth and storage already wired up, not a proprietary data layer | $25/mo | Yes | July 2026 |
| FirebaseBest for mobile-first apps | Mobile-first apps (Android, iOS, Flutter) that want auth, a real-time database, and push notifications out of the box | Free tier + custom | Yes | July 2026 |
| AppwriteBest open source option with a real cloud plan | Developers who want auth, database, storage, and functions from one vendor instead of stitching together separate services | $25/mo | Yes | July 2026 |
| Nhost | Developers who want a Postgres-backed GraphQL API with auth and storage already wired together | $25/mo | Yes | June 2026 |
| PocketBaseBest free, self-hosted alternative | Solo developers and small teams who want a real database, auth, and file storage running in five minutes without setting up separate services | Free tier + custom | Yes | July 2026 |
Why teams switch from Convex
Business plan pricing jumps from $25/seat on Professional to a $2,500/month minimum, and Enterprise pricing isn't published at all.
Teams that need SSO, a custom MSA, or bring-your-own-cloud have to negotiate a quote instead of seeing a price upfront.
Data egress and action compute are metered past small included quotas, so costs get harder to forecast as traffic grows.
Convex's database is proprietary rather than standard Postgres, so teams that want to connect other tools or BI software directly to their data, or that already run SQL, look elsewhere.
The best Convex alternatives, ranked
Supabase is the most natural first stop for a Convex buyer who wants a database they can also connect directly to other tools. Instead of Convex's proprietary reactive store, you get a real hosted Postgres instance, so existing SQL clients, ORMs, and migration tooling just work. Auth, storage, realtime subscriptions, and edge functions ship alongside it, and Pro starts at the same $25/month entry point as Convex Professional, though Supabase's structure is per-project rather than per-seat. The tradeoff is a bill with more moving parts: a flat plan fee, hourly compute per project, and separate overage rates for disk, egress, storage, and monthly active users, plus spend caps that pause a project by default if you go over. For a team that wants real Postgres with the built-in pieces already wired up, Supabase is the strongest overall match.
Pros
- + Real Postgres underneath, so you can connect with any Postgres client or ORM and aren't locked into a proprietary query language
- + Generous free tier for a single small project, including 50,000 MAUs and 500 MB of database
- + Auth, storage, realtime, and edge functions all ship in one platform instead of four separate vendors
Cons
- – The bill has a lot of moving parts: a flat plan fee, per-project compute billed hourly, and separate overage rates for disk, egress, storage, and MAUs
- – Spend caps are on by default on Pro, so a project can get paused when you hit an included limit unless you proactively enable pay-as-you-grow
Firebase is Google's version of what Convex does: a hosted backend where reads update automatically without you writing subscription code. Firestore's real-time listeners are the closest thing to Convex's reactive queries among these alternatives, and Firebase adds mature Android, iOS, and Flutter tooling that Convex doesn't try to match. There's no flat plan; Spark is free within fixed daily quotas and Blaze bills per unit for reads, writes, storage, and bandwidth past those, which can make costs swing more than Convex's own metered model. Cloud Messaging is free at any volume even on Blaze. The catch for a Convex switcher is the database model: Firestore is NoSQL and billed per read and write, so complex queries and denormalized data can multiply cost the way SQL joins wouldn't, and there's no self-hosted or portable path off Google Cloud later.
Pros
- + Free Spark tier is real and usable for building and testing, not just a demo
- + Auth, database, storage, functions, hosting, and messaging all live in one console with one SDK
- + Deep, mature tooling for Android, iOS, Flutter, and Unity that most alternatives don't match
Cons
- – No flat-rate plan. Costs scale with reads, writes, storage, and bandwidth, so a bill can jump if usage spikes or a query pattern is inefficient
- – Firestore's per-read and per-write pricing means denormalizing data or fetching related records can multiply costs compared with a single SQL join
Appwrite covers the same ground as Convex, auth, database, storage, and serverless functions, but adds a choice Convex doesn't offer: run it yourself for free or pay for the managed Cloud version. The core server is open source, so a team that wants an exit from vendor billing entirely can self-host without changing SDKs. On Cloud, Pro is $25/month per project with dedicated resources and published overage rates for bandwidth, storage, executions, and users, so pricing is disclosed the way Convex's Free and Professional tiers are, not hidden behind a sales call the way Convex's Business tier partly is. The database is document-style rather than relational, which fits teams already off SQL, and 16 language runtimes for functions give more flexibility than Convex's TypeScript-only functions. Enterprise pricing is still quote-only, same as Convex's.
Pros
- + Free and open source to self-host, so you're never locked into the hosted price
- + Pricing page lists real numbers for Free and Pro, not just "contact sales"
- + One dedicated resource bundle per project on Pro instead of shared infrastructure
Cons
- – Pro's $25 base only includes a bundle of usage; every resource type (bandwidth, storage, executions, reads/writes, users, realtime) has its own separate overage rate, so a busy app can rack up several add-on charges at once
- – Free plan caps you at 2 projects and auto-pauses a project after a week of inactivity
Nhost
Nhost is the pick for a Convex buyer who wants a backend built around GraphQL rather than direct function calls. It pairs managed Postgres with a Hasura-compatible GraphQL API, its own Constellation engine as of June 2026 and still in alpha, plus auth, storage, and functions, billed per organization so multiple projects share one pool of usage instead of paying per seat or per project. Pro starts at $25/month with a $15 compute credit included, similar in spirit to Convex Professional's $25/seat, though Nhost's free Starter plan is limited to one project that pauses after a week idle. The step up to Team for SOC 2 and support SLAs is a steep $599/month, comparable in size to the jump Convex makes at its Business tier. Nhost fits teams already comfortable with Hasura-style permissions more than teams that want Convex's function-first model.
Pros
- + One bill covers database, auth, storage, functions, and GraphQL instead of stitching together separate vendors
- + 7-day automated backups are included free starting on the Pro plan
- + Org-based billing lets you run multiple projects under one plan instead of paying per project
Cons
- – The free Starter plan is limited to one project and pauses after a week without activity
- – Pro's included compute credit ($15/month) is easy to exceed once you have real traffic, and overage is billed automatically with no cap
PocketBase is the answer for a Convex buyer who wants to stop paying a usage-based bill entirely. It ships as a single free binary with an embedded SQLite database, built-in auth with OAuth2 providers, file storage, realtime subscriptions, and an admin UI, with no vendor billing at all since there's no hosted product to buy. None of Convex's metered function calls, egress, or compute charges apply here; your only cost is the server you run it on. The tradeoff is real: PocketBase runs as a single instance on one SQLite file, so it doesn't scale writes across servers, the project is still pre-1.0 and maintained largely by one developer, and there's no managed, SLA-backed option like Convex's Business or Enterprise plans. It fits solo developers and small teams more than production apps outgrowing Convex's paid tiers.
Pros
- + One binary, no separate database or auth service to stand up
- + Free and MIT licensed, including for commercial use
- + Realtime subscriptions and an admin UI are built in from the start, not bolted on
Cons
- – Runs as a single instance on embedded SQLite, so horizontal scaling requests (multiple nodes, alternate databases like CockroachDB or libsql) have been closed by the maintainer rather than implemented
- – Still pre-1.0. The docs themselves say it is not recommended for production-critical apps unless you're willing to read the changelog and do manual migration steps between versions
Convex alternatives: FAQ
What's the best overall alternative to Convex?+
Supabase is the closest cross-shop for most teams. It covers the same ground, database, auth, storage, functions, but gives you real Postgres instead of a proprietary reactive store, at the same $25/month entry price as Convex Professional, though Convex charges that per developer seat while Supabase's $25 covers the whole project regardless of team size.
Is there a free alternative to Convex?+
PocketBase is free forever since it's self-hosted open source software with no usage-based billing. Supabase, Firebase, and Appwrite all have free tiers too, but each caps usage or pauses inactive projects rather than staying free at real scale.
Which Convex alternative comes closest to its reactive, auto-updating queries?+
Firebase's Firestore listeners are the closest analog among these options. Reads update in your app automatically without polling, similar to how Convex queries work, though the database itself is NoSQL rather than Convex's own model.
Can I self-host a Convex alternative instead of paying for a hosted plan?+
Yes. Appwrite's core server and PocketBase are both open source and free to run on your own infrastructure, unlike Convex, which only runs as a hosted service.
Convex alternatives: pricing compared
Entry price, billing model, and whether pricing is public. 4 of 6 publish pricing you can check without talking to sales.
| Tool | Starting price | Billing | Free option | Pricing disclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convex | $25/seat/mo | usage-based | Yes | Partly public |
| Supabase | $25/mo | tiered | Yes | Partly public |
| Firebase | Free tier + custom | usage-based | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Appwrite | $25/mo | usage-based | Yes | Partly public |
| Nhost | $25/mo | tiered | Yes | Partly public |
| PocketBase | Free tier + custom | free | Yes | Not disclosed |
How we made these picks. We compare tools on public pricing, features, and hands-on assessment, then verify every price against the vendor's own page. We never accept payment for rankings. Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Report it.