Convex
Reactive backend with real-time DB and TypeScript server actions. Convex Auth is built in but still in beta; I use Clerk alongside.
Strengths
- Unlimited projects on free tier, no auto-pause
- 100% TypeScript server actions, end-to-end types without codegen
- Live reactive queries, UI auto-updates on every mutation
- ACID transactions, guaranteed consistency, no race conditions
- Native scheduling (cron jobs, delayed functions) without external infra
Limitations
- Built-in auth (Convex Auth) still in beta: for production, prefer Clerk, WorkOS AuthKit, Auth0 or an OIDC provider
- Document-oriented NoSQL, no SQL, no JOINs, limited query patterns
- Strong vendor lock-in, proprietary model hard to migrate away from
- Younger ecosystem than Supabase, fewer community resources
Best for
- Real-time collaborative apps (editors, whiteboards, team tools)
- TS-first devs wanting to avoid SQL and maximize productivity
- Multi-projects on free tier without project count constraint