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BigQuery vs Convex

BigQuery logo

BigQuery

Software

Serverless, highly scalable enterprise data warehouse

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
C

Convex

Software

The reactive backend platform that keeps up with you and your agents

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only BigQuery has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BigQuery query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes; Convex the Free and Starter tier includes only 1 million function calls and 0.5 GB of database storage per month before per-unit overage charges of $2.20 per million calls apply, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigQuery and Convex actually diverge.

Attributes where BigQuery and Convex differ
AttributeBigQueryConvex
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud APIWeb
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 BigQuery

  • Serverless Architecture
  • Petabyte Scale
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Machine Learning
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Streaming Ingestion
  • Standard SQL
  • Looker

Only in Convex

Nothing recorded that BigQuery does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

BigQuery

  • Business intelligencenot Convex
  • Data warehousingnot Convex
  • Real-time analyticsnot Convex
  • Reportingnot Convex
  • Machine learningnot Convex

Convex

No use cases recorded yet. See the Convex review.

Where each one falls short

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

BigQuery

  • Query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
  • Data egress from Google Cloud incurs additional charges

Convex

  • The Free and Starter tier includes only 1 million function calls and 0.5 GB of database storage per month before per-unit overage charges of $2.20 per million calls apply, as of August 2026.

Pricing, plan by plan

BigQuery

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1TB queries/month
    • 10GB storage/month
    • Standard support
  • On-demand$6.25/TB
    • Pay per query
    • Pay per storage
    • All features

Convex

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Convex review.

Which should you pick?

Choose BigQuery if

  • You need serverless architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud API.
  • You also want petabyte scale.
BigQuery review

Choose Convex if

Nothing in the data separates Convex from BigQuery on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Convex review

Questions people ask

Is BigQuery or Convex better?
Neither clearly leads. BigQuery starts at Free and Convex at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigQuery or Convex?
BigQuery has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for BigQuery and On request for Convex.
Does BigQuery or Convex run on more platforms?
BigQuery runs on Web, Cloud API. Convex runs on Web.
Can I use BigQuery for free?
Yes. BigQuery has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Convex starts at On request.
What is BigQuery best used for?
BigQuery is most often used for business intelligence, data warehousing, real-time analytics, reporting. Of those, business intelligence and data warehousing are not what Convex is typically brought in for.
What can BigQuery do that Convex cannot?
BigQuery covers Serverless Architecture, Petabyte Scale, Real-time Analytics, Machine Learning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigQuery: How is BigQuery priced?

BigQuery charges $5 per terabyte of data processed in on-demand queries. Storage is billed separately: active storage is charged per GB, and data inactive for 90+ days moves to long-term storage at reduced rates.

Source
BigQuery: What is BigQuery's architecture?

BigQuery separates compute and storage, using Google's Colossus for distributed storage and Borg for computation, allowing independent scaling of each.

Source
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