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Databases · head to head

Apache Solr vs Convex

Apache Solr logo

Apache Solr

Databases

Enterprise search platform built on Apache Lucene

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Convex logo

Convex

Databases

Reactive backend combining a document database, TypeScript server functions and live queries, source-available under the Functional Source Licence.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apache Solr xML-heavy configuration and a developer experience that feels dated beside newer engines; Convex the Functional Source Licence is not an OSI open source licence: competing use is prohibited until each release reaches its second anniversary and converts to Apache 2.0, so you may self-host but you may not build a service on it.
  • They diverge on capability: Apache Solr covers Lucene-based indexing, Convex covers Reactive queries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apache Solr and Convex actually diverge.

Attributes where Apache Solr and Convex differ
AttributeApache SolrConvex
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feesubscription
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Databases).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apache Solr

  • Lucene-based indexing
  • Faceted search
  • SolrCloud
  • Schema control

Only in Convex

  • Reactive queries
  • TypeScript server functions
  • ACID transactions
  • Document database
  • Scheduling and workflows
  • File storage
  • Text and vector search
  • End-to-end types

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apache Solr

  • Library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is centralnot Convex
  • Long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over noveltynot Convex
  • Search requiring precise, explicitly configured relevance tuningnot Convex

Convex

  • Collaborative applications where several users see the same data and every client must reflect a change immediatelynot Apache Solr
  • Agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cachenot Apache Solr
  • Small product teams who need a complete backend, including auth integration, file storage and subscriptions, without hiring infrastructure engineersnot Apache Solr
  • Prototypes that must become production without a rewrite of the data layer, where end-to-end TypeScript types remove a class of integration bugsnot Apache Solr

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apache Solr

  • XML-heavy configuration and a developer experience that feels dated beside newer engines
  • SolrCloud depends on ZooKeeper, adding a component Elasticsearch removed years ago
  • Smaller mindshare now, so newer tutorials, hiring and integrations favour Elasticsearch
  • Considerably heavier than a purpose-built application search engine

Convex

  • The Functional Source Licence is not an OSI open source licence: competing use is prohibited until each release reaches its second anniversary and converts to Apache 2.0, so you may self-host but you may not build a service on it.
  • Transactions are bounded at one second of user code, 16 MiB read and written, 32,000 documents scanned and 16,000 written, so every backfill, migration or bulk import has to be chunked into scheduled batches rather than written as a single operation.
  • There is no SQL and no query planner; you declare up to 32 indexes per table and traverse them, and joins are loops in TypeScript, so an unanticipated access pattern requires a schema and index change rather than a new query.
  • It is not an analytical database, so reporting means streaming data out to a warehouse and BI tools cannot be pointed at Convex directly, which adds a pipeline the architecture diagram did not originally include.
  • The application is written against Convex's function and client APIs rather than a standard protocol, so leaving means rewriting the data access layer and replacing the reactivity model, not repointing a connection string.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apache Solr

Free
  • Apache SolrFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Convex

Free
  • Free & StarterFree
    • Supports 1-6 developers
    • Reactive database
    • File storage
  • Professional$25/month per developer
    • Supports up to 20 developers
    • All Starter features
    • Log streaming
  • Business & Enterprise$2500/month minimum
    • Supports 50+ developers
    • SAML/SSO
    • Service SLAs

Which should you pick?

Choose Apache Solr if

  • You need lucene-based indexing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want faceted search.
Apache Solr review

Choose Convex if

  • You need reactive queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want typescript server functions.
Convex review

Questions people ask

Is Apache Solr or Convex better?
Neither clearly leads. Apache Solr starts at Free and Convex at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apache Solr or Convex?
Apache Solr starts at Free and Convex at Free.
Does Apache Solr or Convex run on more platforms?
Apache Solr runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Convex runs on Web.
Can I use Apache Solr for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apache Solr best used for?
Apache Solr is most often used for library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is central, long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over novelty, search requiring precise, explicitly configured relevance tuning. Of those, library, archive and catalogue search where faceting is central and long-lived enterprise deployments valuing stability over novelty are not what Convex is typically brought in for.
What can Apache Solr do that Convex cannot?
Apache Solr covers Lucene-based indexing, Faceted search, SolrCloud, Schema control. Convex covers Reactive queries, TypeScript server functions, ACID transactions, Document database.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apache Solr: Is Apache Solr free?

Yes, open source under the Apache Software Foundation.

Convex: Is Convex open source?

It is source-available under FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0. You may read, modify and self-host it, but competing use is prohibited until each release converts to Apache 2.0 on its second anniversary.

Apache Solr: Solr or Elasticsearch?

Both are built on Lucene. Elasticsearch has the larger ecosystem and a friendlier API; Solr is very mature and strong on faceted search, and remains common in library and catalogue systems.

Convex: Can I self-host it?

Yes. The backend, dashboard and CLI can run on your own infrastructure, with most of the features of the cloud product. Self-hosted instances include a telemetry beacon that can be disabled.

Apache Solr: Is Solr still maintained?

Yes, actively, as a top-level Apache project.

Convex: Does it support SQL?

No. Data is accessed through a TypeScript query builder over declared indexes. Relationships are traversed in code, which is explicit and type-safe but means no ad hoc querying.

Convex: What happens if a mutation exceeds the limits?

It fails rather than running longer, so bulk work must be split into batches and scheduled. The limits are per transaction: one second of user code, 16 MiB read and written, 32,000 documents scanned and 16,000 written.

Convex: How does reactivity actually work?

Queries are deterministic functions and Convex records the data each one read. When a mutation changes that data, affected queries are re-run and subscribed clients receive the new result, so cache invalidation is handled by the platform.

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