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Software · head to head

Convex vs dbt

C

Convex

Software

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
dbt logo

dbt

Software

SQL transformation framework enabling analytics engineers to version, test and deploy models

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only dbt 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.; dbt free tier severely limited to one developer seat and 3,000 models/month

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Convex and dbt actually diverge.

Attributes where Convex and dbt differ
AttributeConvexdbt
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebCloud, Self-hosted, IDE integration (VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf)

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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.

dbt

  • Data warehouse transformation and ELT pipelinesnot Convex
  • Analytics engineering for reporting and business intelligencenot Convex
  • Data quality testing and validation at scalenot Convex
  • Cross-functional data collaboration with version controlnot Convex
  • Cost optimisation of warehouse usage through intelligent schedulingnot 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.

dbt

  • Free tier severely limited to one developer seat and 3,000 models/month
  • Starter plan at $100/user/month for each additional seat adds costs for team collaboration
  • Requires existing data warehouse; not suitable for teams without cloud warehouse investment

Pricing, plan by plan

Convex

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Convex review.

dbt

Free
  • Developer (Free)Free
    • One Developer seat
    • 3,000 successful models built per month
    • Browser IDE
  • Starter$100/user/month
    • Five Developer seats
    • 15,000 successful models built per month
    • dbt Catalog
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom Developer seat count
    • 100,000 successful models built per month
    • 30 projects
  • Enterprise+$null/custom
    • Unlimited projects
    • All Enterprise features
    • PrivateLink

Which should you pick?

Choose Convex if

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

Convex review

Choose dbt if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted, IDE integration (VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf).
dbt review

Questions people ask

Is Convex or dbt better?
Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at On request and dbt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Convex or dbt?
dbt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Convex and Free for dbt.
Does Convex or dbt run on more platforms?
Convex runs on Web. dbt runs on Cloud, Self-hosted, IDE integration (VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf).
Can I use dbt for free?
Yes. dbt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Convex starts at On request.
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Related pages

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