Appwrite and Convex are both freemium backend platforms starting around $25/month, but they solve different problems — Appwrite bundles auth, databases,…
Best for Appwrite: Teams building across multiple languages and frameworks (30+ supported) that want a single open-source platform covering auth, database, storage, serverless functions, messaging, and even site hosting, with named production users like The Times of India, IBM, and American Airlines as reference points.
Best for Convex: TypeScript-centric teams that want end-to-end type safety from database to client, reactive real-time data sync, and built-in integrations with AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex.
At a Glance
Appwrite
Convex
Primary category
Databases
Databases
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
Starting price
Free
Free
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Yes
Key Differences
Language and framework breadth vs. TypeScript specialization
Appwrite: Supports 30+ frameworks and languages including React, Next.js, Vue, Flutter, Node.js, Python, PHP, Swift, and Kotlin.
Convex: Built specifically around TypeScript, with end-to-end type safety enforced from the database to the client.
Determines whether the backend fits a polyglot team or a TypeScript-only stack.
Per-seat vs. flat pricing on paid tiers
Appwrite: Pro plan is a flat $25/month covering 2TB bandwidth, 150GB storage, and unlimited databases/functions.
Convex: Professional plan bills $25 per developer per month (1-20 seats), so costs scale with team size.
Growing engineering teams pay more on Convex's per-seat model as headcount increases, while Appwrite's flat fee doesn't scale with team size.
Compliance certifications on lower tiers
Appwrite: SOC-2, HIPAA, and BAA compliance require the custom Enterprise plan.
Convex: SOC 2 Type II certification and HIPAA compliance are documented at the platform level, not gated to a specific custom tier.
Affects how early a compliance-sensitive team can adopt the platform without negotiating an enterprise contract.
Product surface area
Appwrite: Bundles Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, Realtime, and Sites (an open-source Vercel-style hosting alternative) in one platform.
Convex: Focuses on a reactive database, serverless functions, real-time sync, file storage, plus reusable Convex Components.
Appwrite covers more distinct product categories, like messaging and site hosting, that Convex doesn't document.
Free tier constraints
Appwrite: Free plan projects are paused after 1 week of inactivity and limited to 2 projects.
Convex: Free & Starter tier (1-6 developer seats) includes reactive database, file storage, and vector search with pay-as-you-go overage, with no documented inactivity pause.
Determines whether a side project or prototype risks being paused on the free tier.
Feature-by-Feature
Core Backend Services
Feature
Appwrite
Convex
Authentication
Available
Available
Database
Available
Available
File storage
Available
Available
Serverless functions
Available
Available
Messaging
Available
Not documented
Site hosting
Available
Not documented
Developer Experience
Feature
Appwrite
Convex
End-to-end type safety
Not documented
Available
Vector/text search included free
Not documented
Available
AI coding agent integrations
Not documented
Available
Open source
Available
Not documented
Pricing & Compliance
Feature
Appwrite
Convex
Free tier available
Limited
Available
Flat-rate paid tier
Available
Limited
SOC 2 / HIPAA compliance
Limited
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Appwrite
Free — $0 N/A
Pro — From $25/month Monthly
Enterprise — Custom (contact sales) Custom
Convex
Free (Starter) — Free N/A
Professional — $25/developer/month Monthly per developer
Enterprise — Custom Annual/custom
Pros & Cons
Appwrite
Pros
Fully open source with a large, active GitHub community
Flexible deployment: self-hosted or managed Appwrite Cloud
Broad framework and AI tool integrations
Usable free tier for small projects before needing to pay
Cons
Self-hosting requires ops know-how to run and maintain reliably
Enterprise-grade compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA, SSO) requires the custom-priced Enterprise plan
As a newer BaaS platform, its ecosystem and third-party tooling are still smaller than more established providers like Firebase
Convex
Pros
Eliminates the need to hand-build real-time sync, caching, and subscription logic
Strong TypeScript-first developer experience with end-to-end type safety
Bundles database, functions, auth, storage, and search into one platform
Core backend is open source, giving an escape hatch from full vendor lock-in
Cons
Per-developer seat pricing on the Professional plan can add up for larger teams
Newer platform with a smaller ecosystem and community than Firebase or Supabase
TypeScript/JavaScript-centric function model may not suit teams standardized on other backend languages
Enterprise-grade features like SSO and formal SLAs were still maturing at the time of research
Use Cases
Choose Appwrite: Teams building across multiple languages and frameworks (30+ supported) that want a single open-source platform covering auth, database, storage, serverless functions, messaging, and even site hosting, with named production users like The Times of India, IBM, and American Airlines as reference points.
Choose Convex: TypeScript-centric teams that want end-to-end type safety from database to client, reactive real-time data sync, and built-in integrations with AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex.
Need both: Teams running polyglot backend services alongside a TypeScript-heavy real-time frontend feature might use Appwrite for general backend needs like messaging and broad storage while using Convex specifically for a reactive, type-safe data layer in a TypeScript client app.
Appwrite
Mobile and web app backends — Add authentication, a database, and file storage to an app without building custom backend infrastructure.
Self-hosted backend for compliance — Run a full backend stack on owned infrastructure for data residency or compliance needs.
Convex
Real-time collaborative apps — Teams build collaborative tools, dashboards, and multiplayer experiences that need instant UI updates without manual WebSocket plumbing.
AI agent and RAG applications — Developers use Convex's vector search and reactive state to build AI agents and retrieval-augmented generation apps with persistent, synchronized state.
Rapid MVP and startup backend — Early-stage startups use Convex to avoid provisioning separate database, auth, and API infrastructure while iterating quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Appwrite open source?
Yes, Appwrite is an open-source backend platform.
Does Convex support real-time features?
Yes, Convex has a reactive database with automatic real-time synchronization across connected clients.
How does pricing differ between the two?
Appwrite's Pro plan is a flat $25/month; Convex's Professional plan is $25 per developer seat per month, so cost scales with team size.
Which platform integrates with AI coding agents?
Convex documents built-in integrations for AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex; this isn't documented for Appwrite.
Does Appwrite include messaging and hosting?
Yes, Appwrite bundles a messaging service and a Sites feature, an open-source alternative to Vercel, alongside auth, databases, storage, functions, and realtime.
Are both HIPAA compliant?
Convex documents HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 Type II certification at the platform level; Appwrite requires its custom Enterprise plan for SOC-2, HIPAA, and BAA compliance.