Convex vs Supabase

Short answer

Supabase is an open source platform built around a dedicated Postgres database, with auth, storage and auto-generated APIs, so you work in SQL. Convex is a reactive backend where you write queries and mutations as TypeScript functions, and every query updates subscribed clients automatically. Choose Supabase for standard Postgres and an Apache-2.0 stack you can self-host; choose Convex if live-updating UI and an all-TypeScript backend matter most.

Facts checked on 28 September 2026 against the official sources listed at the end. Usage numbers update daily.

Convex

Best for

TypeScript apps whose UI should update live without writing websocket code

Free plan. Paid from $25 a developer a month for the Professional plan.

Visit convex.dev Convex details

Supabase

Best for

Apps that want a standard Postgres database with auth and APIs built in

Free plan. Paid from $25 a month (Pro), plus usage above the included limits.

Visit supabase.com Supabase details

Convex vs Supabase at a glance

Compared on	Convex	Supabase
Database	Document-relational database with schema validation, indexes and ACID transactions	A dedicated Postgres database for each project
How you query data	TypeScript query and mutation functions that run on Convex	SQL, or the supabase-js client over auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs
Realtime updates	On by default: every query a client subscribes to updates when its data changes	Opt in per table through the supabase_realtime publication, or use Broadcast
Access control	Checks written inside your TypeScript functions	Row level security policies in Postgres
Authentication	Convex Auth (in beta), or Clerk, WorkOS AuthKit, Auth0 and other OpenID Connect providers	Built-in Supabase Auth, 50,000 monthly active users on the free plan
Server-side code	Actions for calling external APIs, optionally in Node.js	Edge Functions on the Deno-compatible Supabase Edge Runtime, plus Postgres functions
Vector search	Built-in vector search indexes	Vector toolkit on Postgres
Self-hosting	Yes, from the source-available convex-backend repository	Yes, the full open source stack
Open source	No, Functional Source License (converts to Apache-2.0 after two years)	Yes, Apache-2.0
Free plan	Yes: 25 million function calls, 50 GB database storage, 100 GB file storage and 50 GB data egress a month included	Yes: 2 active projects, 500 MB database, 50,000 monthly active users, 1 GB file storage. Projects pause after 1 week of inactivity.
Paid plans from	$25 a developer a month for the Professional plan	$25 a month (Pro), plus usage above the included limits
Made by	Convex, Inc.	Supabase Inc.
Launched	Not listed	2020

What's the difference between Convex and Supabase?

Supabase is SQL on Postgres, Convex is TypeScript functions on its own database

Every Supabase project is a full Postgres database, so SQL, Postgres extensions and existing Postgres tools work as usual. Convex stores documents in its own document-relational database, and the app reads and writes them only through TypeScript query and mutation functions deployed to Convex.

Convex updates the UI by default, Supabase realtime is opt-in

In Convex, a client subscribes to a query function and gets a new result whenever the data it read changes, with no polling or cache code. In Supabase, you add tables to the supabase_realtime publication to receive Postgres Changes, and Supabase's docs recommend Broadcast instead when more than about 3,000 concurrent subscribers listen to the same changes.

Supabase is Apache-2.0 open source, Convex is source-available

The Supabase repository is licensed under Apache-2.0. The convex-backend code is published under the Functional Source License, which converts each release to Apache-2.0 two years later and, until then, restricts using it to build a competing product. Both can be self-hosted.

Access rules live in Postgres on Supabase and in your code on Convex

Supabase clients can query the database directly, so row level security policies written in SQL decide who can read and write each row. Convex clients can only call your functions, so each query and mutation checks the signed-in user itself.

Supabase ships its own auth, Convex usually pairs with an auth provider

Supabase Auth is part of every project, with 50,000 monthly active users on the free plan and 100,000 on Pro. Convex Auth exists but is in beta, and Convex documents integrations with Clerk, WorkOS AuthKit, Auth0 and custom OpenID Connect providers.

Convex vs Supabase pricing

Convex bills per developer on its paid plan and meters usage above the included amounts. Supabase bills a plan fee that includes compute for one project, with extra projects and larger compute added on top.

Convex

Free & Starter costs $0 for 1 to 6 developers and includes 25 million function calls a month, then bills usage, for example $2 for each extra million calls. Professional is $25 per developer a month and adds daily backups, log streaming and email support.

Free & Starter: $0 a month
Professional: $25 a developer a month
Business & Enterprise: From $2,500 a month

What each Convex plan includes

Supabase

The free plan allows 2 active projects with a 500 MB database, but projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. Pro starts at $25 a month with $10 of compute credits, enough for one Micro instance, and each extra project adds at least $10 a month.

Free: $0
Pro: From $25 a month
Team: From $599 a month
Enterprise: Custom

What each Supabase plan includes

Example: one production app, 3 developers, usage inside the included limits
Convex	$0 a month on Free & Starter, or $75 a month on Professional (3 developers at $25) for backups and support
Supabase	$25 a month on Pro. The free plan costs $0 but pauses the project after 1 week without activity.

Prices in USD from the official pricing pages on 28 September 2026. They change often, so confirm on convex.dev and supabase.com before you commit.

Usage and activity

Supabase has 8.8 times as many GitHub stars as Convex (112k against 12.7k). Weekly npm downloads: 2M for convex and 35M for @supabase/supabase-js.

Measure	Convex	Supabase
GitHub stars	12,708	111,661
npm downloads a week	2M (convex)	35M (@supabase/supabase-js)
Latest release	None on GitHub	v1.26.08, 2 months ago
Releases in 90 days	0	1

From the public GitHub and npm APIs, updated daily. Stars and downloads show developer interest, not product quality.

Should you choose Convex or Supabase?

Choose Convex if

You want every screen to update live without writing websocket or cache code
Your team works in TypeScript and would rather not write SQL
Several developers need to start free, since Free & Starter covers up to 6
You already plan to use a hosted auth provider such as Clerk, WorkOS or Auth0

Choose Supabase if

You want a standard Postgres database that any SQL tool, ORM or extension can use
An Apache-2.0 license and self-hosting the same stack matter to you
You want built-in auth with row level security instead of a separate auth provider
Your data is relational and you expect reporting or analytics queries in SQL

Switching between Convex and Supabase

Switching either way means rewriting the data layer, because the two store and query data differently. Moving from Supabase to Convex means defining a Convex schema for your tables, moving the data over and rewriting SQL queries and row level security policies as TypeScript functions with their own access checks.

Moving from Convex to Supabase means designing Postgres tables for your documents, moving access checks into row level security policies and replacing reactive queries with Realtime subscriptions on the screens that need live updates.

Convex vs Supabase: common questions

Is Convex better than Supabase?

Neither is better for every app. Convex suits apps that need live-updating UI and an all-TypeScript backend; Supabase suits apps that want standard Postgres, SQL and an open source stack.

Is Convex cheaper than Supabase?

For small teams it often is. Convex Free & Starter costs $0 for up to 6 developers, while an always-on Supabase project needs Pro at $25 a month because free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. Convex Professional costs $25 per developer a month, so larger teams on paid plans can pay more on Convex.

Does Convex use SQL?

No. Convex queries are TypeScript functions that read from its document-relational database. Supabase runs Postgres, so you can use SQL directly.

Is Convex open source like Supabase?

Not in the same way. Convex publishes its backend under the Functional Source License, which converts each release to Apache-2.0 after two years. Supabase is licensed under Apache-2.0 today.

Can you self-host Convex and Supabase?

Yes. Convex can be self-hosted from the convex-backend repository, and Supabase from its open source stack.

Does Convex have built-in authentication?

Convex Auth is a built-in library, but it is in beta. Convex also documents integrations with Clerk, WorkOS AuthKit, Auth0 and custom OpenID Connect providers, while Supabase includes its own Auth service.

Other options to consider

All databases tools

Redis

In-memory data store used as a cache, database and message broker, available self-hosted or as Redis Cloud.

Supabase vs Redis

MongoDB Atlas

MongoDB's fully managed cloud database service, with a free tier and usage-based paid tiers.

Supabase vs MongoDB Atlas

Firebase

Google's backend-as-a-service platform for mobile and web apps: database, auth, hosting and functions.

Supabase vs Firebase

Neon

Serverless Postgres platform with autoscaling and instant branching, owned by Databricks.

Neon vs Supabase

Sources

More sources for each tool are on the Convex and Supabase pages.