Convex vs Supabase vs Appwrite: Backend-as-a-Service Compared

Building a backend from scratch takes weeks. BaaS platforms provide databases, authentication, file storage, and real-time subscriptions out of the box. Three platforms lead the modern stack.

Architecture

Convex: Reactive database with server functions. Write TypeScript functions that automatically sync to the client in real-time. Not a traditional SQL database, more of a document store with relational capabilities.

Supabase: Open-source Firebase alternative built on PostgreSQL. Full SQL database with REST and real-time APIs, auth, storage, and edge functions.

Appwrite: Open-source BaaS with databases, auth, storage, functions, and messaging. Self-hosting or cloud-hosted. Language-agnostic.

Feature Comparison

Developer Experience

Convex

// convex/messages.ts
export const list = query({
  handler: async (ctx) => {
    return await ctx.db.query("messages").order("desc").take(50)
  },
})

export const send = mutation({
  args: { body: v.string(), author: v.string() },
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    await ctx.db.insert("messages", args)
  },
})

// React component
function Chat() {
  const messages = useQuery(api.messages.list)
  const sendMessage = useMutation(api.messages.send)
  // messages auto-update in real-time, no setup needed
}

Key insight: Convex queries are reactive. When data changes, connected clients update automatically. No WebSocket setup, no subscription management, no cache invalidation.

Supabase

// Query
const { data: messages } = await supabase
  .from('messages')
  .select('*')
  .order('created_at', { ascending: false })
  .limit(50)

// Insert
await supabase.from('messages').insert({ body, author })

// Real-time subscription
supabase
  .channel('messages')
  .on('postgres_changes', { event: 'INSERT', schema: 'public', table: 'messages' },
    (payload) => setMessages(prev => [payload.new, ...prev])
  )
  .subscribe()

Supabase gives you PostgreSQL power with a JavaScript client. Real-time requires explicit subscription setup.

Appwrite

// Query
const messages = await databases.listDocuments(
  DATABASE_ID, COLLECTION_ID,
  [Query.orderDesc('$createdAt'), Query.limit(50)]
)

// Insert
await databases.createDocument(
  DATABASE_ID, COLLECTION_ID, ID.unique(),
  { body, author }
)

// Real-time
client.subscribe(`databases.${DATABASE_ID}.collections.${COLLECTION_ID}.documents`,
  (response) => setMessages(prev => [response.payload, ...prev])
)

Appwrite works similarly to Supabase but with a document-oriented data model.

Pricing

Free Tiers

Paid Plans

Performance

Convex's reactive system delivers real-time updates faster because it is designed around reactivity from the ground up.

When to Choose Each

Convex

1. Real-time applications (chat, collaboration, live dashboards)
2. TypeScript teams wanting end-to-end type safety
3. Rapid prototyping (minimal boilerplate)
4. Applications where reactivity matters (state syncs automatically)
5. Serverless-first architecture

Supabase

1. PostgreSQL is required (existing schema, extensions like pgvector)
2. Row-level security for multi-tenant applications
3. Self-hosting requirement (data sovereignty)
4. Complex SQL queries (joins, aggregations, CTEs)
5. Existing PostgreSQL expertise on the team
6. Auth as a core feature (built-in, not third-party)

Appwrite

1. Self-hosting is a hard requirement
2. Multi-platform (web + mobile with native SDKs)
3. Open-source commitment (fully open-source)
4. Simple document storage (not complex relational queries)
5. Budget-conscious (self-hosted = only infrastructure costs)

Our Approach

We evaluate BaaS platforms per project. For real-time collaborative applications, Convex is our first choice. For projects needing PostgreSQL, complex queries, or self-hosting, Supabase is our recommendation. We use Appwrite when clients have strong self-hosting requirements and simpler data models.

For most business websites and applications, we build with Next.js + PostgreSQL (Neon or Supabase) for maximum flexibility.

Contact us to discuss backend architecture for your application.