Database & Data Management · head to head
Convex vs BigQuery
Convex
Database & Data Management
The reactive backend platform that keeps up with you and your agents
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
BigQuery
Database & Data Management
Serverless, highly scalable enterprise data warehouse
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only BigQuery 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.; BigQuery query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Convex and BigQuery actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Database & Data Management).
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 BigQuery does not also cover.
Only in BigQuery
- Serverless Architecture
- Petabyte Scale
- Real-time Analytics
- Machine Learning
- Geospatial Analysis
- Streaming Ingestion
- Standard SQL
- Looker
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.
BigQuery
- Business intelligencenot Convex
- Data warehousingnot Convex
- Real-time analyticsnot Convex
- Reportingnot Convex
- Machine learningnot 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.
BigQuery
- Query costs can become substantial for organizations with high query volumes
- Data egress from Google Cloud incurs additional charges
Pricing, plan by plan
Convex
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Convex review.
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
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose BigQuery if
- You need serverless architecture.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud API.
- You also want petabyte scale.
Questions people ask
- Is Convex or BigQuery better?
- Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at On request and BigQuery at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Convex or BigQuery?
- BigQuery has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Convex and Free for BigQuery.
- Does Convex or BigQuery run on more platforms?
- Convex runs on Web. BigQuery runs on Web, Cloud API.
- 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 can Convex do that BigQuery 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.
SourceBigQuery: 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