Convex
By Convex
Convex is a reactive backend-as-a-service platform that combines a real-time database, serverless functions, and file storage into a single TypeScript-native backend, automatically keeping connected clients in sync with data changes.
Definition
Convex is a reactive backend-as-a-service platform that combines a real-time database, serverless functions, and file storage into a single TypeScript-native backend, automatically keeping connected clients in sync with data changes.
Overview
Building a real-time backend traditionally means stitching together a database, a server framework, WebSocket infrastructure for live updates, and caching logic to keep clients in sync — a substantial amount of plumbing before any product logic gets written. Convex packages all of this into one platform: application logic is written as TypeScript functions that read and write directly to Convex's built-in database, and any client subscribed to a query automatically re-renders when the underlying data changes, without hand-written subscription or polling code. Because the database, functions, and reactivity model are designed together rather than bolted on separately, Convex handles consistency and caching internally — a query result is automatically invalidated and refreshed on relevant writes, similar in spirit to how React re-renders components when state changes, but applied to the backend and propagated to every connected client in real time. Convex is typically used from TypeScript-based frontends, especially Next.js and other React-based applications, and it competes with other backend-as-a-service platforms such as Firebase and Supabase, differentiating primarily through its strong TypeScript integration and built-in reactivity model.
Key Features
- Real-time reactive database that auto-updates subscribed clients
- TypeScript-native serverless functions for reads, writes, and business logic
- Automatic query caching and invalidation on relevant data changes
- Built-in file storage for media and documents
- Scheduled and background functions (cron-like jobs)
- Strong typing end-to-end between backend functions and frontend calls
- Deployment model with no manual server or database provisioning