Databases · head to head
Convex vs CouchDB
Convex
Databases
Reactive backend combining a document database, TypeScript server functions and live queries, source-available under the Functional Source Licence.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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.; CouchDB append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates
- They diverge on capability: Convex covers Reactive queries, CouchDB covers Multi-master Replication.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Convex and CouchDB actually diverge.
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 Convex
- Reactive queries
- TypeScript server functions
- ACID transactions
- Document database
- Scheduling and workflows
- File storage
- Text and vector search
- End-to-end types
Only in CouchDB
- Multi-master Replication
- HTTP/JSON API
- MapReduce Views
- ACID Semantics
- Offline-first
- Conflict Resolution
- Fauxton UI
- PouchDB
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Convex
- Collaborative applications where several users see the same data and every client must reflect a change immediatelynot CouchDB
- Agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cachenot CouchDB
- Small product teams who need a complete backend, including auth integration, file storage and subscriptions, without hiring infrastructure engineersnot CouchDB
- Prototypes that must become production without a rewrite of the data layer, where end-to-end TypeScript types remove a class of integration bugsnot CouchDB
CouchDB
- Offline-first applications requiring seamless replication across mobile and server environmentsnot Convex
- Multi-master deployments where data consistency eventually resolves across regionsnot Convex
- IoT and edge computing scenarios with intermittent connectivitynot Convex
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
CouchDB
- Append-only storage model may have performance implications for certain workloads with high update rates
- Requires network synchronisation for cluster data consistency; can introduce latency in multi-master scenarios
- No explicit support for complex joins; MapReduce queries may be inefficient compared to relational databases
Pricing, plan by plan
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
CouchDB
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the CouchDB review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Convex if
- You need reactive queries.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want typescript server functions.
Choose CouchDB if
- You need multi-master replication.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Docker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi.
- You also want http/json api.
Questions people ask
- Is Convex or CouchDB better?
- Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at Free and CouchDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Convex or CouchDB?
- Convex starts at Free and CouchDB at Free.
- Does Convex or CouchDB run on more platforms?
- Convex runs on Web. CouchDB runs on Docker, Windows (x64), macOS, Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, CentOS), Raspberry Pi.
- Can I use Convex for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Convex best used for?
- Convex is most often used for collaborative applications where several users see the same data and every client must reflect a change immediately, agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cache, small product teams who need a complete backend, including auth integration, file storage and subscriptions, without hiring infrastructure engineers, prototypes that must become production without a rewrite of the data layer, where end-to-end typescript types remove a class of integration bugs. Of those, collaborative applications where several users see the same data and every client must reflect a change immediately and agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cache are not what CouchDB is typically brought in for.
- What can Convex do that CouchDB cannot?
- Convex covers Reactive queries, TypeScript server functions, ACID transactions, Document database. CouchDB covers Multi-master Replication, HTTP/JSON API, MapReduce Views, ACID Semantics.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
CouchDB: Is Apache CouchDB free to use?
Yes, Apache CouchDB is completely free to download and use. It is open source software licensed under the Apache License 2.0.
SourceConvex: 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.
CouchDB: Can I use CouchDB for commercial purposes?
Yes, the Apache License 2.0 permits commercial use. The license is permissive and does not restrict business applications.
SourceConvex: 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.
CouchDB: Is there a paid support or professional services option?
CouchDB's homepage mentions Professional Services as an available option, but no pricing details or specific service costs are listed. Contact the Apache CouchDB project for more information.
SourceConvex: 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.
CouchDB: Who handles hosting costs if I use CouchDB?
CouchDB is self-hosted, so you are responsible for your own infrastructure and hosting costs. The software itself is free.
SourceConvex: 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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