--- title: "Convex vs Supabase: Which is Better in 2026? | App Stack Builder" description: "Convex vs Supabase compared for 2026 — pricing, free tiers, features, pros & cons. See which database tool is the better fit for your startup." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/convex-vs-supabase retrieved: 2026-08-30 --- DatabaseResearched · June 2026 # 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 | From $25/mo | Free · paid from $25/mo | | Starting price | From $25/mo | 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 ![Convex](https://appstackbuilder.com/convex.svg) [Convex](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/convex) * ✓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 ![Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/supabase.svg) [Supabase](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/supabase) * ✓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. [Convex review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/convex) ### 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. [Supabase review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/supabase) ## 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: 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 * [Convex vs Supabase 2026 (UI Bakery)](https://uibakery.io/blog/convex-vs-supabase) * [Convex vs Supabase definitive comparison (ScratchDB)](https://scratchdb.com/compare/convex-vs-supabase/) * [Supabase vs Convex: SQL vs TypeScript-native (BuildMVPFast)](https://www.buildmvpfast.com/compare/supabase-vs-convex) * [Convex vs Supabase (Bytebase)](https://www.bytebase.com/blog/convex-vs-supabase/) See more options in our guide to the [best database tools for startups](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/database). ## Still not sure which to pick? Get a free, AI-powered tech stack — including the best database pick for your budget and team — in 60 seconds. [Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)