Backend-as-a-Service
The biggest real distinction between Supabase and Convex is straightforward: Supabase carries low lock-in while Convex has high lock-in. Supabase sits at freemium with a paid tier from $25/mo (Pro), enterprise plan available and carries low lock-in, while Convex sits at hybrid pricing with $25/member/mo (Pro), a free tier, enterprise plan available and carries high lock-in. Supabase is a fit when you need need postgresql with auth + storage + realtime — typical scenarios include need postgresql with auth + storage + realtime. Convex is aimed at mobile, teams, with workloads like mvp/prototyping speed as the common case. The honest trade-off: Supabase is explicitly not for offline projects; Convex is not intended for complex custom business logic. Lock-in is the factor most teams underestimate: Supabase and Convex have different exit paths, and that shapes total cost of ownership over a two-to-three year horizon. Before committing, audit where each tool stores state, which APIs you depend on, and how painful a switch would be six months in.
Quick take
Supabase is for need postgresql with auth + storage; Convex is for mobile, teams; decide based on how much lock-in you can accept.
| | | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Backend-as-a-Service | Backend-as-a-Service |
| Pricing Model | freemium | hybrid |
| Entry Price | $25/mo (Pro) | $25/member/mo (Pro) |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing Complexity | low | low |
| Developer Experience | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Pricing Transparency | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Lock-in Level | low | high |
| Migration Complexity | low | high |
| Data Portability | SQL export | Via API export |
| Enterprise | Available | Available |
| GitHub Stars | — | 11.3k |
| License | — | NOASSERTION |
Low — PostgreSQL under tofrom, open-source, standard SQL
Migration difficulty: low
Data you keep: SQL export
API standard: PostgreSQL + REST/GraphQL
Risk notes: Low — PostgreSQL under tofrom, open-source, standard SQL
💡 Standard protocols make switching straightforward
High — reactive data model proprietary, no standard SQL
Migration difficulty: high
Data you keep: Via API export
API standard: Proprietary
Risk notes: High — reactive data model proprietary, no standard SQL
💡 Plan 2-4 weeks minimum. Consider running parallel during migration
Choose Supabase if your primary workload is need postgresql with auth + storage + realtime and the free tier plus $25/mo (Pro) paid tier fits your budget.
Not for: Offline projects
Choose Convex if your primary workload is mobile, teams and hybrid pricing ($25/member/mo (Pro)) is acceptable.
Not for: Complex custom business logic
Check each tool's dedicated page for deeper reviews, setup notes, and pros/cons.
It depends on workload shape: Supabase lists $25/mo (Pro), while Convex lists $25/member/mo (Pro). With different pricing models (freemium vs hybrid), the cheaper option flips based on seat count, usage volume, and whether you use the free tier. Do a per-workload estimate rather than comparing headline numbers.
Migrating from Supabase to Convex is generally feasible because Supabase has low lock-in, so data and configuration are usually portable. Since both tools sit in the same category (Backend-as-a-Service), the conceptual mapping is closer, but you still need to validate feature parity against your specific workload. Plan migration as a project, not a script: inventory integrations, test on non-production workloads, and keep Supabase running in parallel until Convex is verified.
Our data gives Supabase and Convex the same developer experience score (5/5), so neither has a clear edge on DX by that measure. The differentiator is usually how each tool fits your workflow — things like CLI quality, docs, local dev loop, and error messages. The safest call is to pilot both on a representative task and see which one gets out of your way.
Convex is in the same category as Supabase (Backend-as-a-Service), so it's a reasonable alternative to evaluate. Convex is aimed at mobile, teams, while Supabase targets need postgresql with auth + storage + realtime — that difference should drive the switch decision. Note that Convex is explicitly not for complex custom business logic — if that describes your workload, it's not a viable replacement.
Comments powered by Giscus (GitHub Discussions). You need a GitHub account to comment.