Convex

Convex stores documents in a relational-style database and runs every mutation as an ACID transaction. Concurrent writes can't corrupt each other, and a failed mutation rolls back cleanly. For users, that means no half-saved orders or duplicate records after a retry.

Queries, mutations, and actions are plain TypeScript files. Convex generates types from your schema, so the client knows the shape of every response and the compiler catches mistakes before deploy. This matters most on teams where several people edit the same data model.

Every query is a live subscription. When a mutation changes a document, Convex recomputes the affected queries and pushes the new result to connected clients. You don't need a separate WebSocket server, and the UI stays consistent across tabs and devices.

Convex includes full-text search, vector search, and file storage in the same platform. You can index documents, run similarity queries for recommendations, and upload images or documents without adding another vendor. Each feature follows the same permission model as the rest of your backend.

You can schedule a function to run later, repeat on a cron schedule, or chain steps with the Workflow component. Long-running processes checkpoint their progress, retry after failures, and resume where they stopped. That removes a common source of custom queue code.

Components are sandboxed, open-source building blocks that plug into a Convex app. The library includes Workpool for background work, Workflow for multi-step jobs, Agents for AI threads, and integrations for Stripe, Resend, Twilio, WorkOS, and PostHog. Each one installs as a package and keeps its own tables.

The Convex backend is open source, so you can run the same service on your own hardware. Convex also ships an MCP server and setup prompts for coding agents, which lets tools like Claude Code or Cursor scaffold functions and schemas. That combination is useful when a team wants managed hosting now and an exit path later.