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APIs · head to head

Convoy vs Kotlin Multiplatform

Convoy logo

Convoy

APIs

Open source webhooks gateway you self-host, handling both sending and receiving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kotlin Multiplatform logo

Kotlin Multiplatform

Mobile Development

JetBrains-funded technology for sharing Kotlin business logic across iOS, Android, web, desktop and server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Convoy the default deployment is self-hosted, so you operate Convoy plus Postgres and Redis and carry the on-call burden for the system that delivers your customers' events.; Kotlin Multiplatform it shares logic, not UI, by default, so a team expecting a Flutter-style single UI codebase has to also adopt Compose Multiplatform, which is newer and less proven on iOS than on Android.
  • They diverge on capability: Convoy covers Inbound and outbound, Kotlin Multiplatform covers Shared Kotlin logic.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Convoy and Kotlin Multiplatform actually diverge.

Attributes where Convoy and Kotlin Multiplatform differ
AttributeConvoyKotlin Multiplatform
Pricing modelPer month, flat rate regardless of volumeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, CloudiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web
CategoryAPIsMobile Development

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Convoy

  • Inbound and outbound
  • Broker-driven ingestion
  • Payload transformation
  • Portal links
  • Circuit breaking
  • Retry policies
  • OpenTelemetry export
  • Role-based access control

Only in Kotlin Multiplatform

  • Shared Kotlin logic
  • Native UI retained
  • Compose Multiplatform (optional)
  • IDE tooling
  • Gradle-based builds
  • Incremental adoption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Convoy

  • A fintech that cannot route customer webhook traffic through a third-party SaaS for compliance reasonsnot Kotlin Multiplatform
  • A high-volume platform for which per-message webhook pricing costs more than the flat premium licencenot Kotlin Multiplatform
  • A team that also receives webhooks from many providers and wants ingestion, verification and deduplication in the same gatewaynot Kotlin Multiplatform
  • An engineering group that wants webhook delivery driven directly from an existing Kafka or SQS topicnot Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform

  • A company with existing separate native iOS and Android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking codenot Convoy
  • A team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native UI per platformnot Convoy
  • An organisation already using Kotlin on the backend that wants to reuse the same models and validation on mobile clientsnot Convoy
  • A team evaluating Compose Multiplatform for UI sharing but wanting the option to fall back to native UI per screennot Convoy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Convoy

  • The default deployment is self-hosted, so you operate Convoy plus Postgres and Redis and carry the on-call burden for the system that delivers your customers' events.
  • Frain Technologies is a small startup, and putting customer-facing delivery infrastructure on it means accepting real vendor continuity risk on a component that is hard to swap out quickly.
  • The premium tier at a flat 999 US dollars a month is poor value below substantial volume, while the community edition omits the portal, transformations and RBAC that most production deployments end up wanting.
  • The hosted cloud trial is capped at one project and 100 events a day, which is too small to properly evaluate the service before committing.
  • Documentation and the third-party ecosystem are thinner than the established webhook services, so unusual configurations often mean reading the Go source.

Kotlin Multiplatform

  • It shares logic, not UI, by default, so a team expecting a Flutter-style single UI codebase has to also adopt Compose Multiplatform, which is newer and less proven on iOS than on Android.
  • iOS interop relies on Kotlin/Native compiling to a framework consumed from Swift, and debugging across that boundary is more friction than debugging pure Swift or pure Kotlin.
  • Because logic-sharing is the whole premise, teams still need genuine iOS and Android UI expertise on staff; it does not reduce the native skills bar the way a full cross-platform UI framework aims to.
  • Build times and tooling maturity for multiplatform Gradle projects lag behind single-platform Kotlin or Swift projects, and multiplatform-specific build errors are less well documented.
  • JetBrains funds it as part of the broader Kotlin investment, so its roadmap priority competes internally with IntelliJ, Android Studio and other JetBrains commitments rather than having dedicated headcount the way Flutter has at Google.

Pricing, plan by plan

Convoy

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted open source gateway
    • Inbound and outbound webhooks
    • Automatic retries and message broker support
  • Premium$999/month
    • Flat rate irrespective of message volume
    • Portal links and payload transformation
    • RBAC, circuit breaking and white labelling
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • SAML SSO
    • Dedicated support with SLA
    • On-premises deployment assistance
  • Cloud$undefined/month
    • Hosted by Convoy
    • 14 day trial limited to one project and 100 events a day
    • Usage-based tiers above the trial

Kotlin Multiplatform

Free
  • Kotlin MultiplatformFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed, unlimited apps
    • IDE tooling in the free Android Studio and free-tier IntelliJ IDEA Community
    • No paid Kotlin Multiplatform edition exists

Which should you pick?

Choose Convoy if

  • You need inbound and outbound.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want broker-driven ingestion.
Convoy review

Choose Kotlin Multiplatform if

  • You need shared kotlin logic.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want native ui retained.
Kotlin Multiplatform review

Questions people ask

Is Convoy or Kotlin Multiplatform better?
Neither clearly leads. Convoy starts at Free and Kotlin Multiplatform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Convoy or Kotlin Multiplatform?
Convoy starts at Free and Kotlin Multiplatform at Free.
Does Convoy or Kotlin Multiplatform run on more platforms?
Convoy runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud. Kotlin Multiplatform runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
Can I use Convoy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Convoy best used for?
Convoy is most often used for a fintech that cannot route customer webhook traffic through a third-party saas for compliance reasons, a high-volume platform for which per-message webhook pricing costs more than the flat premium licence, a team that also receives webhooks from many providers and wants ingestion, verification and deduplication in the same gateway, an engineering group that wants webhook delivery driven directly from an existing kafka or sqs topic. Of those, a fintech that cannot route customer webhook traffic through a third-party saas for compliance reasons and a high-volume platform for which per-message webhook pricing costs more than the flat premium licence are not what Kotlin Multiplatform is typically brought in for.
What can Convoy do that Kotlin Multiplatform cannot?
Convoy covers Inbound and outbound, Broker-driven ingestion, Payload transformation, Portal links. Kotlin Multiplatform covers Shared Kotlin logic, Native UI retained, Compose Multiplatform (optional), IDE tooling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Convoy: Is Convoy really open source?

Yes, the community edition is open source and self-hostable, covering both inbound and outbound webhooks with retries.

Kotlin Multiplatform: Does Kotlin Multiplatform replace my native UI code?

Not by default. It shares business logic and data layers; UI stays native per platform unless you separately adopt Compose Multiplatform.

Convoy: What does premium cost?

A flat 999 US dollars a month, self-hosted, regardless of message volume.

Kotlin Multiplatform: Is there a paid version?

No. It is Apache 2.0 licensed and free, funded by JetBrains as part of the Kotlin project.

Convoy: Does it receive webhooks as well as send them?

Yes, inbound ingestion with verification and deduplication is a first-class feature, unlike most webhook services.

Kotlin Multiplatform: Do I need Compose Multiplatform to use it?

No, they are separate. You can share only logic and keep fully native UI on each platform indefinitely.

Convoy: Do I have to self-host?

No, there is a hosted cloud, but the trial is capped at 100 events a day and self-hosting is the primary model.

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