Convex

Open source alternative to Firebase and AWS Amplify

12.8K stars
FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Nov 5, 2026

Build reactive backends with TypeScript functions, real-time sync, and ACID transactions. A self-hostable alternative to Firebase and AWS Amplify.

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Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Convex is for#

TypeScript teams building real-time collaborative apps

Convex's reactive queries push data updates to all connected clients without manual subscription management. Teams building collaborative document editors, live dashboards, or multi-player features get real-time sync as part of the data layer, with no WebSocket infrastructure to maintain.

Skip if:

Your app has no real-time requirements and reads are infrequent. For a traditional request/response API serving static content, a standard database with a REST layer is simpler and cheaper to operate.

Developers building agentic or AI workflow applications

Convex's Workflow component supports multi-step processes that checkpoint and resume, with built-in retries and backoff. The Agent component provides threads, context, and vector search for LLM applications. Both are built on the same reactive database, so agent state is consistent and queryable alongside other app data.

Skip if:

You need external API calls to run synchronously within a database transaction. Convex mutations are ACID but actions (which call external services) run outside the transaction boundary.

Teams migrating off Firebase

Convex covers the same surface area as Firebase: database, server functions, real-time sync, and file storage. Unlike Firebase, Convex is self-hostable and TypeScript-first, with no proprietary query language or cloud-only deployment requirement.

Skip if:

Your existing Firebase app relies heavily on Firebase-specific services like Firebase Cloud Messaging or its social authentication providers. Convex supports authentication via third-party providers but does not replicate every Firebase service directly.

Startups wanting a full backend with no infrastructure assembly

Starting a Convex project requires one command. The backend includes database, functions, search, and file storage without selecting or integrating separate services. The free cloud tier allows small applications to run at zero cost with zero maintenance.

Skip if:

Your team has strong PostgreSQL expertise and wants full SQL control. Convex's reactive model requires adopting its TypeScript function patterns; teams with deep SQL knowledge may prefer Supabase or a traditional Postgres stack.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Building the backend for a modern web app means stitching together multiple services. A database, a caching layer, server-side functions, a pub/sub or WebSocket service for live updates, and file storage each add an integration point, an extra API key, and another failure mode. When the data model changes, the cache invalidation logic, the subscription handlers, and the API layer all require manual updates in coordination.

Firebase reduces that complexity by integrating these layers, but it is cloud-only, proprietary, and difficult to migrate away from. AWS Amplify ties teams to GraphQL and the AWS ecosystem. The result for most teams is a backend that works but accumulates stale caches, inconsistent reads under concurrent writes, and infrastructure spread across providers.

how Convex solves it

How it solves it#

Reactive database with automatic real-time sync

Every query in Convex is a subscription. When underlying data changes, all active query results update and push to clients without manual WebSocket management or cache invalidation. This eliminates the class of bugs where the UI shows stale data after a mutation.

TypeScript-native server functions

Server functions (queries, mutations, and actions) are written in TypeScript and run with the same schema types used by the client. The end-to-end type system means TypeScript catches mismatches between the database schema and calling code at compile time, before they reach production.

ACID transactions for concurrent writes

All mutations in Convex run in ACID transactions. Concurrent writes never produce partial or inconsistent state, which removes a common source of data corruption in applications with multiple simultaneous users.

Built-in file storage, search, and workflow primitives

Convex includes file storage and full-text search without external services. The Convex Components library adds Workpool (managed job fan-out with retries), Workflow (multi-step durable processes that checkpoint and resume), and an Agent component for building AI workflows with threads and vector search.

Self-hosting via Docker or prebuilt binary

The self-hosted distribution ships with the dashboard and CLI included, matching the cloud product's feature set. It runs with Postgres, SQLite, Neon, Fly.io, Vercel, and similar providers. Docker is the recommended path; a prebuilt binary is also available.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Full TypeScript type safety from schema to clientConvex generates TypeScript types from the database schema automatically. Functions, queries, and mutations share the same types across the full stack, so a schema change propagates errors to every call site immediately. This makes refactoring safer than in systems where the database type and the application type are maintained separately.
ACID guarantees without a separate caching layerMost backends achieve performance by caching database reads and accepting eventual consistency. Convex's reactive model serves consistent data to clients automatically, so teams building concurrent or collaborative features do not need to build cache invalidation logic on top of the database.
Self-hosting includes the full platformThe open source distribution includes the dashboard, CLI, and backend in one package. Many hosted BaaS alternatives, including Firebase, have no self-hosting path at all. Convex's self-hosted release matches the cloud product's feature set, and runs with Postgres, SQLite, Neon, Fly.io, and similar providers.
Active development and communityThe repo reached 12,778 stars and 844 forks between its March 2024 creation and November 2026, with active commits maintained to the main branch. Community support is available in a dedicated Discord channel for self-hosting questions and general development help.

Trade-offs

-FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0 restricts competing hosted servicesConvex's Functional Source License permits internal use and self-hosting but forbids offering a hosted service that competes with Convex's own cloud product. Teams that want to resell a managed Convex instance cannot do so until the two-year Apache 2.0 conversion window applies. For self-hosters running Convex for their own application, the restriction does not apply.
-No SQL: reactive query model requires learningConvex does not use SQL or a standard query language. Queries are TypeScript functions that compose Convex's built-in operators. Teams switching from PostgreSQL or MySQL need to rethink their data access patterns; SQL knowledge does not transfer directly to Convex's model.
-Test suite not included in the open source releaseConvex's README notes that its test frameworks, including randomized testing, are not part of the open source offering. Teams relying on the upstream test suite for confidence will need to write their own test coverage.
-Anonymous telemetry in self-hosted buildsSelf-hosted Convex includes diagnostic telemetry that sends a random deployment identifier, database migration version, git revision, and uptime to Convex. The information is anonymous. Telemetry runs by default and can be disabled via a command flag on the backend binary.

versus alternatives

Convex vs alternatives#

Convex vs Firebase

Convex and Firebase overlap on the core BaaS features: database, server-side functions, real-time sync, and file storage. The primary differences are self-hosting, language model, and transaction scope.

Feature	Convex	Firebase
Self-hosting	Yes (Docker or binary)	No
License	FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0	Proprietary
Query language	TypeScript functions	Firestore query API
Real-time sync	Yes (reactive)	Yes (Firestore listeners)
ACID transactions	Yes (full)	Yes (reads before writes)
File storage	Yes	Yes (Firebase Storage)

Convex is the better choice when TypeScript type safety and self-hosting are requirements. Firestore transactions are ACID and can span any number of documents across collections; the constraint is that read operations must precede writes within a single transaction call. Convex mutations run server-side and are always transactional with no read-write ordering requirement. Firebase is worth considering when your team already uses Google Cloud services, needs Firebase's specific auth providers, or wants a managed service with Google's global CDN and SLA and no infrastructure responsibility.

Convex vs AWS Amplify

AWS Amplify combines managed GraphQL (via AppSync), authentication, file storage, and hosting in a single AWS-native framework. Convex is not tied to a cloud provider and runs self-hosted or on the Convex cloud. Amplify's strengths are deep AWS service integration and GraphQL's typed API; Convex's strengths are TypeScript-native functions, reactive queries, and a simpler self-hosting path. Teams already running significant AWS infrastructure may prefer Amplify's native service integrations; teams building TypeScript-first apps outside the AWS ecosystem will find Convex faster to work with.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Install and start a new Convex project using npm.
```bash
npm create convex@latest
```

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaScriptRustTypeScript
Frameworks: React

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is Convex open source?

Convex is source-available under FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0, the Functional Source License. The source code is public and can be used, modified, and self-hosted for any purpose except building a competing hosted service. Each release converts to Apache 2.0 two years after its publication date, at which point all restrictions lift. It is not OSI-certified open source, but self-hosting for internal or commercial use is explicitly permitted.

How do I self-host Convex?

The recommended path is Docker. The self-hosted distribution includes the dashboard and CLI, and runs with Postgres, SQLite, Neon, Fly.io, Vercel, and similar providers. Detailed instructions are in the self-hosting guide at github.com/convex/convex-backend. A prebuilt binary is also available for teams not using Docker. Community support for self-hosting is in the #self-hosted Discord channel.

Does Convex replace Firebase or AWS Amplify?

For most use cases, yes. Convex provides database, server functions, real-time sync, file storage, and search in one system, covering the core surface area of both. The differences are in data model and hosting: Convex uses reactive TypeScript functions rather than a NoSQL document model (Firebase) or GraphQL (AWS Amplify), and it is self-hostable unlike Firebase, or deployable outside AWS unlike Amplify. Teams wanting TypeScript end-to-end without cloud vendor lock-in should evaluate Convex.

How many open issues does the Convex backend repo have?

The convex/convex-backend repo had 191 open issues at the time of this writing. The repo opened in March 2024 and receives active development. The Convex team notes that the test suite is not part of the open source release, so some issue reports relate to behavior not covered by the public test code.

Can I use Convex commercially in my own product?

Yes. Internal business use and self-hosting for your own application are explicitly permitted under FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0. The only prohibited use is offering a hosted Convex service to external customers as a product that competes with Convex's own cloud. Building and selling an application that uses Convex as its backend is permitted.

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Convex vs Firebase

Feature	Convex	Firebase
Self-hosting	Yes (Docker or binary)	No
License	FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0	Proprietary
Query language	TypeScript functions	Firestore query API
Real-time sync	Yes (reactive)	Yes (Firestore listeners)
ACID transactions	Yes (full)	Yes (reads before writes)
File storage	Yes	Yes (Firebase Storage)

Who Convex is for#

TypeScript teams building real-time collaborative apps

Skip if:

Developers building agentic or AI workflow applications

Skip if:

Teams migrating off Firebase

Skip if:

Startups wanting a full backend with no infrastructure assembly

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Reactive database with automatic real-time sync

TypeScript-native server functions

ACID transactions for concurrent writes

Built-in file storage, search, and workflow primitives

Self-hosting via Docker or prebuilt binary

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

Convex vs alternatives#

Convex vs Firebase

Convex vs AWS Amplify

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Similar open-source tools#

Open source tools in these categories#

Backend Development

Databases & Storage

Developer Tools

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who Convex is for#

TypeScript teams building real-time collaborative apps

Skip if:

Developers building agentic or AI workflow applications

Skip if:

Teams migrating off Firebase

Skip if:

Startups wanting a full backend with no infrastructure assembly

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Reactive database with automatic real-time sync

TypeScript-native server functions

ACID transactions for concurrent writes

Built-in file storage, search, and workflow primitives

Self-hosting via Docker or prebuilt binary

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

Convex vs alternatives#

Convex vs Firebase

Convex vs AWS Amplify

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Similar open-source tools#

Open source tools in these categories#

Backend Development

Databases & Storage

Developer Tools

Find open source alternatives to paid software