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Databases · head to head

Convex vs Meilisearch

Convex logo

Convex

Databases

Reactive backend combining a document database, TypeScript server functions and live queries, source-available under the Functional Source Licence.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Meilisearch logo

Meilisearch

Databases

Fast open-source search engine built for typo tolerance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Meilisearch not built for log analytics or aggregation-heavy workloads, which is where Elasticsearch remains the answer
  • They diverge on capability: Convex covers Reactive queries, Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Convex and Meilisearch actually diverge.

Attributes where Convex and Meilisearch differ
AttributeConvexMeilisearch
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee; managed cloud billed separately
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted

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 Meilisearch

  • Typo tolerance
  • Search as you type
  • Faceted search
  • Simple API

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 Meilisearch
  • Agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cachenot Meilisearch
  • Small product teams who need a complete backend, including auth integration, file storage and subscriptions, without hiring infrastructure engineersnot Meilisearch
  • Prototypes that must become production without a rewrite of the data layer, where end-to-end TypeScript types remove a class of integration bugsnot Meilisearch

Meilisearch

  • Adding product or content search to an application without running Elasticsearchnot Convex
  • Search-as-you-type interfaces where latency is visible to the usernot Convex
  • Replacing SQL LIKE queries that cannot handle typos or rankingnot 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.

Meilisearch

  • Not built for log analytics or aggregation-heavy workloads, which is where Elasticsearch remains the answer
  • Scaling across many nodes is less mature than the older engines it competes with
  • Memory use grows with index size, and large datasets need real capacity planning

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

Meilisearch

Free
  • MeilisearchFree
    • Full functionality
    • Self-hosted
    • No usage limits

Which should you pick?

Choose Convex if

  • You need reactive queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want typescript server functions.
Convex review

Choose Meilisearch if

  • You need typo tolerance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want search as you type.
Meilisearch review

Questions people ask

Is Convex or Meilisearch better?
Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at Free and Meilisearch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Convex or Meilisearch?
Convex starts at Free and Meilisearch at Free.
Does Convex or Meilisearch run on more platforms?
Convex runs on Web. Meilisearch runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Self-hosted.
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 Meilisearch is typically brought in for.
What can Convex do that Meilisearch cannot?
Convex covers Reactive queries, TypeScript server functions, ACID transactions, Document database. Meilisearch covers Typo tolerance, Search as you type, Faceted search, Simple API.

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.

Meilisearch: Is Meilisearch free?

The engine is open source and free to self-host. Meilisearch Cloud is a paid managed service.

Convex: 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.

Meilisearch: Meilisearch or Elasticsearch?

Meilisearch is far simpler for application search and works well by default. Elasticsearch is the choice when you also need log analytics and heavy aggregations.

Convex: 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.

Meilisearch: Does it handle typos automatically?

Yes. Typo tolerance is on by default rather than something you configure.

Convex: 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.

Convex: 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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