Convex vs CockroachDB for Solo Developers

Convex and CockroachDB represent two very different philosophies. One wants to be your entire backend. The other wants to be the most resilient relational database you have ever used. For a solo developer, this distinction matters because your time and mental overhead are your scarcest resources.

I have worked with both, and the right choice depends almost entirely on what you are building and how much infrastructure you want to think about.

Convex Overview

Convex is a reactive backend-as-a-service that combines a document database, serverless functions, file storage, and real-time sync into one platform. You write TypeScript functions for your queries and mutations, and Convex handles deployment, scaling, and real-time updates to connected clients.

The developer experience is streamlined. There is no separate API server, no database provisioning, and no WebSocket setup. You define your schema, write functions, and call them from your React or Next.js frontend.

The free tier gives you 1M function calls per month and 1GB of storage. Paid plans start at $25/month.

CockroachDB Overview

CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database that is wire-compatible with PostgreSQL. It was designed from the ground up for horizontal scalability and survivability. Your data is automatically replicated across nodes, and the database keeps working even when individual nodes go down.

CockroachDB Cloud (their managed offering) lets solo developers use this technology without running a cluster themselves. You get a PostgreSQL-compatible database that scales horizontally and survives failures, all through a managed service.

CockroachDB Serverless has a free tier with 10GB of storage and 50M request units per month, which is generous for getting started.

Comparison Table

When to Pick Convex

Choose Convex when development speed is your top priority and your app fits a real-time model. If you are building a SaaS product, a collaborative tool, or anything where users interact with live data, Convex removes a massive amount of boilerplate. No API routes, no WebSocket setup, no database administration.

Solo developers working in the React and Next.js ecosystem will get the most out of Convex. The TypeScript integration is tight, the local development experience is smooth, and deploying is a single command.

It also makes sense for MVPs and prototypes where you want to validate an idea before investing in more complex infrastructure. You can go from zero to a working app with a real-time backend in an afternoon.

When to Pick CockroachDB

Choose CockroachDB when you need a proper relational database with strong consistency guarantees and you want the option to scale later without re-architecting. If your data model has complex relationships, you rely on transactions that span multiple tables, or you need to run analytical queries alongside transactional workloads, CockroachDB handles all of that.

It is also the right choice if you are building something that needs to be highly available. CockroachDB's multi-region replication means your database survives outages automatically. For a solo developer, not having to think about failover or backup restoration is valuable.

The PostgreSQL compatibility is a major advantage. You can use any PostgreSQL client library, ORM, or tool you already know. If you ever need to migrate away, your SQL queries and schema work with standard PostgreSQL.

Verdict

For solo developers building interactive, real-time applications and who want minimal infrastructure management, Convex is the faster path to a working product. You trade vendor lock-in for development speed, which is often a good deal at the early stage.

For solo developers who need relational data modeling, strong consistency, and long-term portability, CockroachDB is hard to beat. The serverless free tier is generous, the PostgreSQL compatibility means your skills transfer, and the automatic replication gives you enterprise-grade reliability without enterprise-grade complexity.

Start with Convex if you want to ship this week. Choose CockroachDB if you are building something that needs a robust relational foundation from day one.