Backend-as-a-Service
Convex vs Supabase
Side by side
- Pricing model
- ConvexUsage-based
- SupabaseHybrid
- Starting price
- Convex$25/mo
- SupabaseFreemium
- Free tier
- ConvexYes — Generous free tier
- SupabaseYes
- Maturity
- Convex—
- SupabaseEstablished
- Availability
- ConvexGenerally available
- SupabaseGenerally available
- Last checked
- ConvexOct 11, 2026
- SupabaseOct 16, 2026
| Fact | Convex | Supabase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Hybrid |
| Starting price | $25/mo | Freemium |
| Free tier | Yes — Generous free tier | Yes |
| Maturity | — | Established |
| Availability | Generally available | Generally available |
| Last checked | Oct 11, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
When each one fits
Choose Convex when…
Realtime, reactive apps
Auto-updating queries without plumbing
TypeScript teams
End-to-end type safety
Convex strengths
Reactive, realtime by default
TypeScript-native end to end
Great DX for app developers
Choose Supabase when…
Startup founders and indie developers who need a complete backend-as-a-service with auth, database, and storage in one place
Teams moving from Firebase who want a relational database with a generous free tier
Developers who want to self-host their database infrastructure while keeping a familiar UI
Look past Supabase if…
Teams needing a horizontally sharded database for massive write throughput
Enterprises requiring SOC 2 on the free plan without upgrading to a paid tier
Supabase strengths
Postgres database
Authentication
Auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs
Realtime subscriptions
Edge functions
File storage
Row-level security
Self-hostable
Trade-offs
Known weaknesses from each tool’s record. Sourced ones link to where they came from.
Convex
Younger ecosystem
No source on file
Less SQL-oriented
No source on file
Supabase
Free tier projects are automatically paused after one week of inactivity, limiting continuous availability for hobby projects.
Custom SMTP integration for authentication emails fails with Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook, breaking standard email workflows.
The Supabase Node.js client causes ESM handling issues that break Vitest testing environments.
Extension version pinning is deprecated, forcing users to accept default versions and ignoring explicit version specifications.