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Databases · head to head

Convex vs Readyset

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
Readyset logo

Readyset

Databases

Database caching and optimization that reduces infrastructure costs 30-70%

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.; Readyset pricing requires contacting sales team, making cost planning difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Convex covers Reactive queries, Readyset covers Automatic Query Optimization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Convex and Readyset actually diverge.

Attributes where Convex and Readyset differ
AttributeConvexReadyset
Pricing modelsubscriptionMonthly or annual subscription based on cache size
PlatformsWebCloud, 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 Readyset

  • Automatic Query Optimization
  • SQL-Level Caching
  • Live Incremental Updates
  • Zero-Touch Integration
  • Query Interception
  • AI Query Protection

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

Readyset

  • Reducing database costs for AI workloads with unpredictable query patternsnot Convex
  • Improving read performance for frequently accessed data without hardware upgradesnot Convex
  • Protecting databases from performance degradation caused by agentic queriesnot Convex
  • Scaling read-heavy applications without database scaling costsnot 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.

Readyset

  • Pricing requires contacting sales team, making cost planning difficult
  • Specific pricing tiers not disclosed publicly
  • Requires cache size estimation for cost calculation
  • Limited to read query caching, does not address write performance

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

Readyset

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • 7-day trial available
  • Readyset CloudFree
    • Fully-managed AWS deployment
    • High availability
    • VPC peering support
  • Readyset PrivateFree
    • Self-hosted on your servers
    • Complete control
    • Custom deployment

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 Readyset if

  • You need automatic query optimization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-Hosted.
  • You also want sql-level caching.
Readyset review

Questions people ask

Is Convex or Readyset better?
Neither clearly leads. Convex starts at Free and Readyset at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Convex or Readyset?
Convex starts at Free and Readyset at Free.
Does Convex or Readyset run on more platforms?
Convex runs on Web. Readyset runs on Cloud, 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 Readyset is typically brought in for.
What can Convex do that Readyset cannot?
Convex covers Reactive queries, TypeScript server functions, ACID transactions, Document database. Readyset covers Automatic Query Optimization, SQL-Level Caching, Live Incremental Updates, Zero-Touch Integration.

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.

Readyset: Do I need to change my application code?

No, Readyset integrates transparently through query interception with zero code changes or schema modifications required.

Source
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.

Readyset: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Readyset offers a free 7-day trial that lets you test different cache sizes before committing to a paid plan.

Source
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.

Readyset: How does Readyset pricing work?

Readyset is available as a monthly or annual subscription charged based on the size of cache you need. Contact [email protected] for specific pricing.

Source
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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