Databases · head to head
Convex vs Nx Cloud
Convex
Databases
Reactive backend combining a document database, TypeScript server functions and live queries, source-available under the Functional Source Licence.
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Nx Cloud
Developer Tools
Distributed CI and remote caching for monorepo teams
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Nx Cloud is a SaaS platform.
- Free plans on both; paid from $25/mo and $29/mo.
- Only Convex lists reactive queries; only Nx Cloud lists nx Replay.
- Where Nx Cloud falls short: requires Nx workspace setup; integration limited to Nx build system.
- Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Convex and Nx Cloud actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).
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 Nx Cloud
- Nx Replay
- Nx Agents
- Remote execution
- Advanced analytics
- Conformance rules
- AI-powered recovery
- Multi-repository visibility
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 Nx Cloud
- Agent backends that need durable state, scheduled work and transactional writes without assembling a queue, a database and a cachenot Nx Cloud
- Small product teams who need a complete backend, including auth integration, file storage and subscriptions, without hiring infrastructure engineersnot Nx Cloud
- Prototypes that must become production without a rewrite of the data layer, where end-to-end TypeScript types remove a class of integration bugsnot Nx Cloud
Nx Cloud
- Accelerating monorepo CI pipelines with distributed task executionnot Convex
- Reducing build times through remote caching and incremental buildsnot Convex
- Scaling development teams across complex multi-package projectsnot Convex
- Enforcing consistency and standards across monorepo workspacesnot 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
Nx Cloud
- Requires Nx workspace setup; integration limited to Nx build system
- Free tier restricted to 5 contributors; larger teams require paid plans
- Credits system adds complexity to cost prediction vs flat-rate competitors
- Self-hosted Enterprise deployment requires significant operational overhead
Pricing, plan by plan
Convex
Free- Free & StarterFree
- Supports 1-6 developers
- Reactive database
- File storage
- Professional$25
- Supports up to 20 developers
- All Starter features
- Log streaming
- Business & Enterprise$2,500/month minimum
- Supports 50+ developers
- SAML/SSO
- Service SLAs
Nx Cloud
Free- HobbyFree
- 50,000 monthly credits
- 5 contributors
- 10 concurrent CI connections
- Team$29/mo
- Usage-based credits ($29 base plus overage)
- Unlimited contributors
- Remote caching
- EnterpriseOn request
- Complete feature access
- Conformance rules
- Cross-repository visibility
Which should you pick?
Choose Convex if
- You need reactive queries.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want typescript server functions.
Choose Nx Cloud if
- You need nx replay.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CI/CD Systems.
- You also want nx agents.
Questions people ask
- Is Convex or Nx Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at Free and Nx Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Convex or Nx Cloud?
- Convex starts at Free and Nx Cloud at Free.
- Does Convex or Nx Cloud run on more platforms?
- Convex runs on Web. Nx Cloud runs on Web, CI/CD Systems.
- 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 Nx Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Convex do that Nx Cloud cannot?
- Convex covers Reactive queries, TypeScript server functions, ACID transactions, Document database. Nx Cloud covers Nx Replay, Nx Agents, Remote execution, Advanced analytics.
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.
Nx Cloud: What is included in the free Hobby plan?
The Hobby plan includes 50,000 monthly credits, support for 5 contributors, 10 concurrent CI connections, and basic analytics at no cost with no credit card required.
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.
Nx Cloud: How are overages charged on the Team plan?
The Team plan starts at $29/month with included credits. Additional credits cost $5.50 per 10,000 credits, extra contributors cost $19 each, and additional CI connections cost $2.25 each.
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.
Nx Cloud: Can Nx Cloud be self-hosted?
Yes, Enterprise customers can deploy Nx Cloud on-premises or on managed infrastructure to maintain full control over data and infrastructure.
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.
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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