Convex vs Supabase for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Convex Overview

Convex is a backend platform that rethinks how you build applications. Instead of writing REST APIs, managing database connections, and setting up WebSockets for real-time features, you write TypeScript functions that run on Convex's server. These functions read and write to a built-in document database, and any data changes automatically propagate to connected clients in real time. No manual cache invalidation, no polling, no WebSocket plumbing.

The developer experience is genuinely impressive. You write a query function in TypeScript, import it in your React component, and the data just appears, updating live whenever it changes in the database. The type safety flows end-to-end from your database schema through your server functions to your frontend components. If you change a field name in your schema, your IDE shows errors everywhere that field is referenced.

For solo developers, Convex eliminates a lot of the backend boilerplate that normally eats up your time. You do not write API routes. You do not configure a database driver. You do not set up a caching layer. The tradeoff is that you are locked into Convex's way of doing things. The document database is not PostgreSQL. The function model is not REST. If you have been writing SQL for years, the mental shift takes adjustment.

Convex offers a free tier for small projects and a Pro tier at $25 per month with higher limits.

Supabase Overview

Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase built on top of PostgreSQL. You get a managed Postgres database, authentication, file storage, real-time subscriptions, edge functions, and an auto-generated REST API, all from one dashboard. If Firebase's developer experience appealed to you but you wanted a real relational database underneath, Supabase is exactly that.

The reason Supabase has gained so much traction with solo developers is that it removes backend busywork while keeping you on familiar ground. PostgreSQL is the most popular database in the indie dev world for good reason: it is battle-tested, well-documented, and supported by every ORM and tool you can think of. Supabase layers a great developer experience on top of that foundation.

I have used Supabase on multiple projects, and the speed from idea to working prototype is hard to beat. Create a project, define your tables in the dashboard or via SQL, and your REST API is immediately available. Add auth with a few lines of code. Upload files to built-in storage. Enable real-time subscriptions on specific tables. Each feature that would normally take a day to set up takes minutes with Supabase.

The free tier includes 500 MB of database storage, 1 GB file storage, and 50,000 monthly active users for auth. The Pro tier at $25 per month expands those limits significantly.

When to Pick Convex

Convex is the right choice when real-time reactivity is central to your application and you want the tightest possible developer experience with TypeScript.

Pick Convex if:

• Your application needs live-updating data (collaborative tools, dashboards, chat)
• You are a TypeScript developer and want end-to-end type safety
• You prefer writing server functions over building REST APIs
• Automatic cache invalidation and real-time sync appeal to you
• You are building with React or Next.js (best framework support)
• You value developer velocity over architectural control

Convex removes the most tedious parts of backend development at the cost of vendor lock-in. If that trade is acceptable, the productivity gains are significant.

When to Pick Supabase

Supabase is the right choice when you want a flexible, open-source backend built on industry-standard technology.

Pick Supabase if:

• You want PostgreSQL (familiar SQL, JOINs, migrations, ecosystem support)
• You need authentication, storage, and database in one managed platform
• Portability matters (you can always migrate off since it is standard Postgres)
• You are building a CRUD-heavy application (SaaS, marketplace, content platform)
• You want to use any framework, not just React
• Open source and self-hosting options matter to you

Supabase gives you the modern developer experience without asking you to learn a new paradigm. Everything is built on tools you probably already know.

The Verdict

Convex and Supabase represent two philosophies of backend development. Convex reinvents the backend for maximum developer productivity, especially for real-time applications. Supabase improves the traditional backend by making PostgreSQL incredibly easy to use with modern tooling.

For most solo developers, Supabase is the safer choice. PostgreSQL is a universally understood foundation. You can bring your existing SQL knowledge, use any ORM you prefer, and migrate off Supabase to self-hosted Postgres if you ever need to. The ecosystem is massive and well-documented.

Pick Convex if real-time reactivity is genuinely core to your product and you are willing to embrace a new paradigm. Collaborative editors, live dashboards, multiplayer features, and chat applications benefit enormously from Convex's reactive model. For these use cases, Convex can save you weeks of plumbing that you would otherwise spend building with WebSockets and cache invalidation on top of Supabase.

If you are unsure, start with Supabase. You can always evaluate Convex for your next project once you understand what kind of backend patterns your application actually needs.