Staxly

PocketBase vs Convex

Open-source backend in a single Go binary
vs. The reactive database where queries are TypeScript code

PocketBase (OSS)Convex website

Pricing tiers

PocketBase

Self-Hosted
MIT-licensed single binary. Run on any VPS / Docker / bare metal. No usage caps — only limited by your server.
$0 base (usage-based)
PocketBase (OSS)

Convex

Starter (Free)
Free with overage via usage-based billing. Great for prototypes.
Free
Professional
$25/developer/month. Overage: $2/M function calls. Daily backups, email support, custom domains.
$25/mo
Business / Enterprise
From $2,500/month. SAML/SSO, SLA, dedicated deployments, Slack Connect support.
$2500/mo
Convex website

Free-tier quotas head-to-head

Comparing self-hosted on PocketBase vs starter on Convex.

MetricPocketBaseConvex
db storage gb0.5 GB
deployments40 deployments
egress gb month1 GB/month
file storage gb1 GB
function calls month1000000 calls/month
team members6 users

Features

PocketBase · 12 features

  • Access RulesRecord-level access rules (filter expressions) referencing @request and @collect
  • Admin DashboardBuilt-in web UI for schema + data management.
  • AuthEmail+password, OAuth2 (Google, GitHub, Facebook, Apple, Discord, Microsoft, etc
  • BackupsBuilt-in backup/restore with S3 upload option.
  • Built-in MailerSMTP integration for verification, password reset, magic link emails.
  • CollectionsSchema-defined record types with fields, validations, and record/admin/auth acce
  • Embedded JS EngineJavaScript VM (goja) lets you write hooks in JS without recompiling.
  • Extend as Go LibraryEmbed PocketBase in a larger Go app, add custom routes and events.
  • File StorageLocal filesystem or S3-compatible storage with access rules.
  • HooksServer-side Go or JavaScript hooks that run on CRUD events (OnRecordBeforeCreate
  • MigrationsJS/Go migration scripts applied on startup.
  • Realtime SubscriptionsSSE-based subscriptions to collection changes.

Convex · 18 features

  • ActionsNon-deterministic functions for external I/O (fetch, AI APIs, email). Cannot rea
  • AuthenticationConvex Auth (built-in) or BYO provider (Clerk, Auth0, Kinde, WorkOS). ID tokens
  • Convex AgentsAI agent framework with durable memory, threads, tool use. Works with OpenAI / A
  • Convex AuthFirst-party auth library: passwords, magic links, OAuth, phone — stored in your
  • Convex ComponentsReusable backend modules (rate limiter, workflow, aggregate, action-retrier, etc
  • Cron JobsRecurring schedules defined in convex/crons.ts. UTC, cron-style patterns.
  • Durable WorkflowsLong-running multi-step workflows with retries and at-least-once guarantees.
  • Exception ReportingAuto-capture errors to Sentry, Axiom, Datadog.
  • File StorageUpload/download via storage API. Returns storage IDs referenced in documents.
  • Full-Text SearchBM25 search index on table fields. withSearchIndex query helper.
  • HTTP ActionsExpose public HTTP endpoints for webhooks, OAuth callbacks, third-party integrat
  • Log StreamsStream function logs to Axiom, Datadog, Sentry. Pro+.
  • MutationsTransactional write functions. All reads + writes in one mutation are ACID; conf
  • Preview DeploymentsEvery Git branch gets its own isolated deployment. Integrates with Vercel/Netlif
  • QueriesDeterministic read-only TS functions. Automatically cached and re-run when under
  • Real-Time SubscriptionsuseQuery auto-subscribes; server invalidates when data a query read changes. No
  • Schedulerschedule.after / schedule.at — enqueue functions to run later. Durable, survives
  • Vector SearchNative vector index on tables. withIndex + filter fields. Up to 4096 dims.

Developer interfaces

KindPocketBaseConvex
CLIConvex CLI
SDKGo API (extend as library), pocketbase (Dart), pocketbase (JS SDK)Android / Kotlin Client, iOS / Swift Client, JavaScript/TypeScript Client, Next.js Integration, Python Client, React Client (useQuery), Rust Client, Svelte Client, Vue Client
RESTREST APIDeploy / Dashboard API, HTTP Actions
OTHERAdmin Dashboard, Realtime SSEWebSocket Subscriptions
Staxly is an independent catalog of developer platforms. Outbound links to PocketBase and Convex are plain references to their official websites. Pricing is verified against vendor pages at publication time — reconfirm before buying.

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