Convex vs Supabase: Which is Better in 2026?
Convex and Supabase are two of the most popular backend platforms of 2026, but they’re built on fundamentally different data models. Supabase wraps PostgreSQL — real SQL — with auth, storage, and real-time subscriptions into one managed service, and it’s open-source and self-hostable. Convex is a reactive document database where your TypeScript functions are the entire backend: it handles caching, subscriptions, and real-time consistency automatically.
The split is SQL-and-flexibility versus TypeScript-native-and-reactive. If you want Postgres power and an open ecosystem, Supabase. If you want real-time reactivity and minimal backend setup with end-to-end TypeScript, Convex. Below: data model, real-time, developer experience, pricing, and lock-in.
Quick verdict
Both are excellent and both start around $25/mo. Pick Supabase when you want the full power of PostgreSQL — complex queries, deep joins, stored procedures — plus built-in auth and storage, and the freedom of an open-source, self-hostable stack. Pick Convex when reactivity and real-time collaboration are central and you want a TypeScript-first backend that wires queries, subscriptions, and caching together with minimal setup. In short: Supabase for SQL power and flexibility, Convex for reactive, TypeScript-native simplicity.
Convex vs Supabase — Side by Side
| Convex | Supabase | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Database | Database |
| Pricing | Free · paid from $25/mo | Free · paid from $25/mo |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Best for | Database — backend, baas | Database — postgresql, supabase |
Convex vs Supabase: The Details That Matter
01Data model: SQL vs reactive documents
Supabase gives you real PostgreSQL. If you know SQL you’re productive immediately — complex analytics queries, deep joins, stored procedures, and the entire Postgres extension ecosystem are all available.
Convex is a reactive document database queried through TypeScript functions rather than SQL. It’s a different mental model — no SQL, no traditional schema migrations — that trades Postgres’s query power for tight TypeScript integration and automatic reactivity.
Supabase = full PostgreSQL/SQL power and ecosystem; Convex = a TypeScript-queried reactive document store, no SQL.
02Real-time & consistency
Convex is reactive by default: function subscriptions push live updates over a WebSocket client with strong consistency guarantees, so real-time collaboration “just works” without extra wiring. Reactivity is the core of the product.
Supabase does real-time too, but via PostgreSQL’s Write-Ahead Log — you subscribe to row inserts, updates, and deletes. It’s powerful and Postgres-native, but it’s a subscription layer on top of the database rather than a reactive-by-default model.
Convex is reactive-by-default with consistency guarantees; Supabase offers solid WAL-based change subscriptions layered on Postgres.
03Developer experience
Convex is TypeScript-first end to end: your backend functions are TypeScript, and Convex handles caching, subscriptions, and real-time updates automatically — very fast iteration with minimal backend setup, plus AI-assisted app generation.
Supabase pairs a managed Postgres with excellent docs, a dashboard, auth, storage, and auto-generated APIs. If your team thinks in SQL it’s immediately productive; it’s a broader platform but with more moving parts than Convex’s single TypeScript model.
Convex offers minimal-setup, TypeScript-native iteration; Supabase offers a broader SQL-centric platform with auth/storage/APIs included.
04Pricing model
Both start around $25/mo for small-to-medium projects, but they scale on different axes: Supabase costs scale with database size, Convex with compute (function execution time). Your usage pattern decides which is cheaper — data-heavy but low-compute favors Supabase; compute-heavy reactive workloads can swing either way by volume.
Convex’s Professional tier is priced per developer ($25/developer/mo), worth noting for larger teams; Supabase’s Pro is per project.
Both ~$25/mo to start; Supabase scales with DB size, Convex with compute (and per-developer at the Pro tier) — match to your usage pattern.
05Open-source & lock-in
Supabase is fully open-source and self-hostable — a strong portability story and no hard cloud lock-in.
Convex is primarily a cloud service with no traditional self-hosting, though it went open-source in February 2025, easing earlier lock-in concerns. You still mostly run it on Convex’s cloud.
Supabase is open-source and self-hostable today; Convex open-sourced in 2025 but remains cloud-centric.
Pros & Cons
- Excellent real-time data model
- Very fast developer iteration
- TypeScript-first backend
- Built-in cron, auth, and storage
- AI-assisted app generation
- Pricing is per-developer at scale
- Less control than self-managed databases
- Ecosystem smaller than traditional databases
- PostgreSQL with first-class developer experience
- Built-in auth, storage, and real-time
- Strong open-source ecosystem
- Excellent documentation
- Scales from MVP to production
- Costs can increase with scale
- Advanced Postgres tuning is abstracted
- Enterprise pricing is high
Key Features Compared
Convex
- 1–6 developers
- 40 deployments
- Chef AI app generation
- Real-time database with indexes
- Text search and vector search
- File storage
Supabase
- Unlimited API requests
- 50,000 monthly active users
- 500 MB database size
- 1 GB file storage
- 5 GB egress
- Daily backups (7 days)
Choose Convex if…
- Real-time reactivity and live collaboration are central to your app.
- You want a TypeScript-first backend where functions handle queries, subscriptions, and caching automatically.
- You value minimal backend setup and very fast iteration (plus AI-assisted generation).
- You’re comfortable on a cloud-centric platform and don’t need raw SQL.
Choose Supabase if…
- You want the full power of PostgreSQL — complex queries, joins, stored procedures, extensions.
- You need built-in auth, storage, and instant REST/GraphQL APIs alongside the database.
- You want an open-source, self-hostable stack with no hard lock-in.
- Your team thinks in SQL and wants immediate productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Convex better than Supabase?⌄
Both are excellent and both start around $25/mo. Pick Supabase when you want the full power of PostgreSQL — complex queries, deep joins, stored procedures — plus built-in auth and storage, and the freedom of an open-source, self-hostable stack. Pick Convex when reactivity and real-time collaboration are central and you want a TypeScript-first backend that wires queries, subscriptions, and caching together with minimal setup. In short: Supabase for SQL power and flexibility, Convex for reactive, TypeScript-native simplicity.
What is the difference between Convex and Supabase?⌄
Convex — Reactive backend-as-a-service with a built-in database, real-time queries, serverless functions, and AI-powered app generation. Supabase — Open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL with auth, storage, and real-time features. Both are database tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Convex vs Supabase: which is cheaper?⌄
Convex pricing: Free · paid from $25/mo. Supabase pricing: Free · paid from $25/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Convex or Supabase?⌄
In our catalog, Convex rates 4.7 out of 5 and Supabase rates 4.8 out of 5, so Supabase has a slight edge on reviews.
Is Convex or Supabase better for real-time apps?⌄
Convex is reactive by default — function subscriptions deliver live updates with consistency guarantees and minimal wiring, making it excellent for real-time collaboration. Supabase also does real-time via Postgres’s Write-Ahead Log, which is powerful but more of a subscription layer than a reactive-by-default model.
Does Convex use SQL like Supabase?⌄
No. Supabase is real PostgreSQL, so you get SQL, joins, stored procedures, and the Postgres ecosystem. Convex is a reactive document database queried through TypeScript functions — a different model with no SQL.
Which is cheaper, Convex or Supabase?⌄
Both start around $25/mo, but they scale differently: Supabase costs scale with database size, Convex with compute (function execution time), and Convex’s Pro tier is per developer. Data-heavy, low-compute apps tend to favor Supabase; the right choice depends on your usage pattern.
Can I self-host Convex like Supabase?⌄
Not in the traditional sense — Convex is cloud-centric, though it went open-source in February 2025. Supabase is fully open-source and self-hostable today, which is the stronger portability story.
Research & sources · last verified June 2026
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