Databases · head to head
Convex vs Marqo
Convex
Databases
Reactive backend combining a document database, TypeScript server functions and live queries, source-available under the Functional Source Licence.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Marqo
Databases
AI-native product discovery platform for ecommerce
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Convex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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.; Marqo pricing not publicly available, enterprise sales-only model
- They diverge on capability: Convex covers Reactive queries, Marqo covers Semantic search.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Convex and Marqo actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Marqo
- Semantic search
- Multimodal image search
- AI model training
- Automated merchandising
- Multi-surface integration
- Commerce platform integrations
- API access
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 Marqo
- Agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cachenot Marqo
- Small product teams who need a complete backend, including auth integration, file storage and subscriptions, without hiring infrastructure engineersnot Marqo
- Prototypes that must become production without a rewrite of the data layer, where end-to-end TypeScript types remove a class of integration bugsnot Marqo
Marqo
- Improve search revenue for fashion and beauty retailersnot Convex
- Implement multimodal image and product searchnot Convex
- Increase checkout conversion through better product discoverynot Convex
- Create personalized product recommendationsnot Convex
- Reduce customer support inquiries with relevant search resultsnot 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.
Marqo
- Pricing not publicly available, enterprise sales-only model
- Requires custom implementation and integration work
- Limited to ecommerce use cases compared to general search
- Model training requires sufficient customer behavior data
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
Marqo
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Marqo 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 Marqo if
- You need semantic search.
- You work on Web API, SaaS.
- You also want multimodal image search.
Questions people ask
- Is Convex or Marqo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at Free and Marqo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Convex or Marqo?
- Convex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Convex and On request for Marqo.
- Does Convex or Marqo run on more platforms?
- Convex runs on Web. Marqo runs on Web API, SaaS.
- Can I use Convex for free?
- Yes. Convex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Marqo starts at On request.
- 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 Marqo is typically brought in for.
- What can Convex do that Marqo cannot?
- Convex covers Reactive queries, TypeScript server functions, ACID transactions, Document database. Marqo covers Semantic search, Multimodal image search, AI model training, Automated merchandising.
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.
Marqo: How do Marqo models get trained?
Marqo trains dedicated AI models on each retailer's product catalog and customer behavior data including clicks, purchases, and browsing patterns. This ensures models are optimized for the specific retailer's products and customers.
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.
Marqo: What results can retailers expect from Marqo?
Enterprise retailers using Marqo report 10-23% increases in search revenue and conversion rates, with proven results across fashion, beauty, electronics, and home goods.
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.
Marqo: Which ecommerce platforms does Marqo integrate with?
Marqo has native integrations with Shopify, Adobe Commerce (Magento), and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and also provides API access for custom implementations.
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.
Marqo: How is Marqo priced?
Marqo pricing is customized based on catalog size, search volume, and feature requirements. Contact their sales team to book a demo and discuss pricing.
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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