Firebase vs Convex
Firebase is Google's backend-as-a-service platform, offering a NoSQL database (Firestore or Realtime Database) alongside authentication, hosting, serverless functions and analytics. Convex combines a document-relational database with server-side TypeScript functions and automatic real-time subscriptions, so client apps get live-updating data without hand-written caching or websocket code. Choose Firebase if you want Google's mature, widely adopted platform with a free tier; choose Convex if you want a TypeScript-first backend where functions and data model live together with automatic reactivity.
Facts checked on against the official sources listed at the end. Usage numbers update daily.
Best for
A mature, widely adopted NoSQL backend platform with a free tier
Free plan. Paid from Blaze plan is pay-as-you-go on top of the same free limits, billed through Google Cloud.
Best for
A TypeScript-first backend with automatic reactive data and built-in functions
Free plan. Paid from $25 a developer a month for the Professional plan.
Firebase vs Convex at a glance
| Compared on | Firebase | Convex |
|---|---|---|
| Data model | NoSQL document/realtime database (Firestore, Realtime Database) | Document-relational database with server-side TypeScript functions |
| Backend functions language | Cloud Functions written in Node.js or other supported runtimes | TypeScript functions defined and run directly within Convex |
| Realtime updates | Built-in realtime listeners on Firestore and Realtime Database | Automatic reactive subscriptions on any query result, no manual caching or websockets |
| Licensing | Proprietary | Functional Source License, converting to Apache-2.0 two years after each release |
| Free tier availability | Yes, the Spark plan with fixed no-cost limits | Yes: 25M function calls, 50 GB database storage, 100 GB file storage a month |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes, self-hosting is supported |
| Open source | No, Proprietary | No, Functional Source License (converts to Apache-2.0 after two years) |
| Free plan | Yes: the Spark plan, with no-cost usage limits and no payment method required | Yes: 25 million function calls, 50 GB database storage, 100 GB file storage and 50 GB data egress a month included |
| Paid plans from | Blaze plan is pay-as-you-go on top of the same free limits, billed through Google Cloud | $25 a developer a month for the Professional plan |
| Made by | Convex, Inc. | |
| Launched | 2012 | Not listed |
What's the difference between Firebase and Convex?
Convex integrates the database and backend functions in a single TypeScript-first system,
Convex integrates the database and backend functions in a single TypeScript-first system, where functions and schema live together and every query result is automatically reactive; Firebase separates Firestore/Realtime Database from Cloud Functions, requiring more manual wiring for full reactivity.
Firebase is a long-established, proprietary Google platform with no self-hosting option
Firebase is a long-established, proprietary Google platform with no self-hosting option; Convex's source is available under the Functional Source License, which converts to Apache-2.0 two years after each release, and supports self-hosting.
Firebase offers two distinct database options (document-based Firestore and tree-based Realtime Database)
Firebase offers two distinct database options (document-based Firestore and tree-based Realtime Database); Convex offers one unified document-relational database model with a single query and mutation system.
Convex's pricing is based on function calls, storage and data egress with
Convex's pricing is based on function calls, storage and data egress with a generous free tier; Firebase's Blaze plan bills per-operation across several distinct services (reads, writes, function invocations, hosting).
Firebase vs Convex pricing
Firebase's Spark plan is free with fixed usage limits; Blaze bills usage beyond those limits at Google Cloud rates. Convex's Free & Starter tier is pay-as-you-go with generous included usage, and Professional is $25 per developer a month.
Firebase
Spark (free): 1 GiB Firestore storage, 50,000 daily reads, 20,000 daily writes, 10 GB hosting. Blaze: pay-as-you-go on top, e.g. Cloud Functions $0.40 per million invocations beyond 2M free.
- Spark (free)
- $0
- Blaze (pay as you go)
- Usage-based, e.g. Cloud Functions $0.40 per million invocations beyond 2M free
Convex
Free & Starter: 25M function calls, 50 GB database storage, 100 GB file storage, 50 GB egress a month included. Professional: $25 a developer a month with log streaming, backups and compliance reports.
- Free & Starter
- $0 a month
- Professional
- $25 a developer a month
- Business & Enterprise
- From $2,500 a month
Prices in USD from the official pricing pages on 30 September 2026. They change often, so confirm on firebase.google.com and convex.dev before you commit.
Usage and activity
Convex has 2.5 times as many GitHub stars as Firebase (12.7k against 5.2k). Weekly npm downloads: 12M for firebase and 2M for convex.
| Measure | Firebase | Convex |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 5,155 | 12,703 |
| npm downloads a week | 12M (firebase) | 2M (convex) |
| Latest release | [email protected], 1 week ago | None on GitHub |
| Releases in 90 days | 5 | 0 |
From the public GitHub and npm APIs, updated daily. Stars and downloads show developer interest, not product quality.
Should you choose Firebase or Convex?
Choose Firebase if
- You want a mature, widely adopted platform with a large ecosystem and free tier
- You're building a mobile or web app that benefits from Firestore's realtime sync
- You want Google Cloud billing and infrastructure
- You don't need self-hosting or a TypeScript-first backend model
Choose Convex if
- You want backend functions and data schema defined together in TypeScript
- You want every query to be automatically reactive without writing caching or websocket code
- Self-hosting or source-available licensing matters to you
- You're building a modern TypeScript/React-based stack from scratch
Switching between Firebase and Convex
Moving from Firebase to Convex means rewriting Cloud Functions as Convex TypeScript functions and adapting Firestore documents to Convex's document-relational schema, gaining automatic reactivity in the process without needing to hand-wire realtime listeners. Moving from Convex to Firebase means splitting unified functions and schema into separate Cloud Functions and Firestore collections, and manually wiring up realtime listeners where Convex previously handled reactivity automatically.
Firebase vs Convex: common questions
Is Convex open source?
Convex's backend source is available on GitHub under the Functional Source License, which converts to Apache-2.0 two years after each release. This is different from Firebase, which is entirely closed-source and proprietary to Google.
Can I self-host Convex?
Yes, Convex supports self-hosting, which Firebase does not offer as an option.
Does Firebase automatically make all queries reactive like Convex?
Firestore and Realtime Database support realtime listeners, but you generally set these up per query or reference; Convex makes every query result reactive by default with no extra setup.
Which has a bigger ecosystem and community?
Firebase, having launched over a decade earlier and being backed by Google, has a substantially larger ecosystem, more third-party tutorials and wider adoption than Convex.
Do I write backend functions differently in each?
Yes. Firebase Cloud Functions are written as fairly standard Node.js (or other runtime) functions triggered by events; Convex functions are TypeScript functions defined alongside your schema and queried directly from client code with generated types.
Other options to consider
All databases tools
Supabase
Open source Postgres development platform with auth, instant APIs, realtime, storage and edge functions.
Redis
In-memory data store used as a cache, database and message broker, available self-hosted or as Redis Cloud.
MongoDB Atlas
MongoDB's fully managed cloud database service, with a free tier and usage-based paid tiers.
Neon
Serverless Postgres platform with autoscaling and instant branching, owned by Databricks.
Sources
More sources for each tool are on the Firebase and Convex pages.
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