Software · head to head
Convex vs Apache Pinot
Convex
Software
The reactive backend platform that keeps up with you and your agents
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Apache Pinot
Software
Real-time distributed OLAP datastore for analytics
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Apache Pinot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; Apache Pinot self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Convex and Apache Pinot actually diverge.
| Attribute | Convex | Apache Pinot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes |
| Founded | Unknown | 1999 |
Identical on both: 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 Convex
Nothing recorded that Apache Pinot does not also cover.
Only in Apache Pinot
- Real-time Analytics
- Column-oriented
- Distributed Processing
- SQL Support
- Pluggable Indexing
- Star-tree Index
- Upsert Support
- Kafka
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Convex
No use cases recorded yet. See the Convex review.
Apache Pinot
- Sub-second analytics queries on freshly ingested datanot Convex
- User-facing dashboards inside a productnot Convex
- Real-time metrics at high ingest ratesnot Convex
- Petabyte-scale analytics as run at LinkedIn and Ubernot Convex
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Apache Pinot
- Self-hosted and distributed, so running it means operating a cluster rather than consuming a service
- Managed hosting comes from third parties such as StarTree rather than from the project
- Built for user-facing real-time OLAP, so it is not a general purpose database
Pricing, plan by plan
Convex
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Convex review.
Apache Pinot
Free- Open SourceFree
- Real-time analytics
- SQL queries
- Horizontal scaling
Which should you pick?
Choose Convex if
Nothing in the data separates Convex from Apache Pinot on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Apache Pinot if
- You need real-time analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want column-oriented.
Questions people ask
- Is Convex or Apache Pinot better?
- Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at On request and Apache Pinot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Convex or Apache Pinot?
- Apache Pinot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Convex and Free for Apache Pinot.
- Does Convex or Apache Pinot run on more platforms?
- Convex runs on Web. Apache Pinot runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use Apache Pinot for free?
- Yes. Apache Pinot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Convex starts at On request.
- What can Convex do that Apache Pinot cannot?
- Apache Pinot covers Real-time Analytics, Column-oriented, Distributed Processing, SQL Support.