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It's a split decision.
Firebase is the broader managed app platform: it bundles NoSQL databases, authentication, functions, hosting, monitoring and testing, with a free Spark tier and usage-priced Blaze. Convex is a more focused TypeScript backend with ACID transactions, reactive sync, workflows, search and storage. Its Free & Starter tier is free within limits; Professional costs $25 per developer monthly. Choose Firebase for its wider service set or Convex for a TypeScript-first reactive backend. Costs can rise with usage on either platform.
01Side by side
| Firebase | Convex | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Spark $0; Blaze has no base fee, then usage charges | Free & Starter $0; Professional $25/developer/month |
| Free plan | Spark includes quotas; excess usage stops services | Free & Starter includes limits; Starter overages are pay-as-you-go |
| Best for | Apps needing databases, auth, hosting and monitoring | Teams building reactive TypeScript backends |
| Core strength | Managed app services across development and operations | Reactive data and backend functions in TypeScript |
| Learning curve | Not published on the vendor's site | Not published on the vendor's site |
| Integrations/data | Firestore, Realtime Database, auth and object storage | ACID database, sync, search and file storage |
| Team/seat costs | No per-seat price listed; Blaze bills by usage | $25 per developer monthly; Business starts at $2,500/month |
| Support | Plan-specific support details not published | Professional includes email support; enterprise plans list SLAs |
Firebase Choose Firebase if
- Choose Firebase if you want databases, auth, hosting and monitoring together.
- Choose Firebase if you need Crashlytics or Test Lab in the same platform.
- Choose Firebase if Spark’s published quotas fit your project.
Convex Choose Convex if
- Choose Convex if your backend is TypeScript-first.
- Choose Convex if ACID transactions and reactive sync are priorities.
- Choose Convex if $25 per developer monthly fits your team budget.
02Pricing compared
Firebase Spark costs $0 and includes, among other quotas, 50,000 Firestore reads and 20,000 writes daily, 1 GiB of storage, and 50,000 monthly active users for Authentication. Exceeding Spark quotas stops services until they reset. Blaze has no base fee, includes some no-cost quotas, then bills by usage; for example, Firestore reads cost $0.03 per 100,000 beyond the free tier.
Convex Free & Starter costs $0 within its limits, including 1 million function calls and 0.5 GB of database storage. Starter is pay-as-you-go beyond those limits. Professional is $25 per developer monthly and includes 25 million function calls and 50 GB of database storage. Business & Enterprise has a $2,500 monthly minimum. Neither product lists annual pricing in the published pricing details, so compare expected usage and team size—not just the entry price.
03Features and depth
Firebase covers more of the app stack in the published feature list: Cloud Firestore and Realtime Database provide NoSQL storage, real-time synchronization, queries, and offline persistence. Firebase also lists authentication, Cloud Functions, hosting and object storage, Crashlytics, Performance Monitoring, Test Lab, messaging, and Remote Config. That breadth can reduce the number of separate backend services a team needs, though Firebase’s databases are NoSQL rather than a general-purpose SQL offering.
Convex is narrower and centers its backend on TypeScript. Its listed features include a database with ACID transactions, backend functions, real-time sync, search, and file storage. It also supports multi-step workflows that checkpoint, retry, and resume, plus built-in threads, context, and vector search for AI agents. The distinction is less “which has a database?” and more which set of backend capabilities you need: Firebase lists more app operations and monitoring tools, while Convex emphasizes a reactive TypeScript backend and transactional data. The published details do not establish that either product is faster.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The better fit depends on your team’s stack. Convex is explicitly TypeScript-focused, so it is a natural candidate to evaluate if your developers want backend functions and data work in that environment. Its Free & Starter tier supports 1–6 developers, while Professional supports up to 20.
Firebase groups many managed app services under one platform, but its breadth means teams may need to make choices across databases, functions, hosting, monitoring, and other tools. Firebase’s pricing also separates Spark quotas from Blaze usage billing, so teams should understand where service limits and charges apply. The published information does not compare setup time or learning difficulty directly. We’d choose based on the services you need and your team’s familiarity with TypeScript, not on an unsupported claim that one is automatically easier.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Firebase or Convex?
There is no fixed winner without expected usage and team size. Firebase Spark is free within quotas, while Blaze has no base fee and charges for usage beyond included amounts. Convex has a free tier, but Professional costs $25 per developer monthly. Convex also has usage overages.
Can Convex replace Firebase?
Not as a direct match based on the published feature lists. Convex covers a reactive backend, database, functions, workflows, sync, search, and storage. Firebase also lists authentication, hosting, crash and performance monitoring, mobile testing, messaging, and Remote Config. Compare the specific services your app relies on.
How do Firebase and Convex databases differ?
Firebase lists Cloud Firestore and Realtime Database, both NoSQL databases with real-time synchronization; it also lists queries and offline persistence. Convex highlights ACID transactions and reactive updates. The published information does not establish that one database is faster or better for every data model.
Does either platform have a free plan?
Yes. Firebase Spark is free within its quotas; if a project exceeds them, services stop until quotas reset. Convex Free & Starter is free within its included limits, such as 1 million function calls and 0.5 GB of database storage. Starter charges for usage beyond free limits.