Convex vs Banana
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Convex and Banana.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
Convex
0 reviews
1.2/5
Banana
0 reviews
Convex is rated higher (4.0 vs 1.2). Convex is a backend-as-a-service that provides a reactive database with real-time subscriptions, serverless functions, file storage, and authentication. TypeScript-first developer experience. Banana was an ML inference hosting platform (Docker-based, Potassium framework). The service shut down permanently on March 31, 2024; do not purchase. Alternatives: Replicate, Modal, RunPod, Beam, Baseten.
Convex TypeScript-first backend platform with real-time sync and serverless functions | Banana DEFUNCT — serverless GPU inference platform sunset Feb 2024, shut down March 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ | 1.2 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based (historical; shut down 2024-03-31) |
| Starting price | Free tier available✓ | From $2024/mo |
| Best for | TypeScript teams building real-time, collaborative or AI-agent applications who want to replace an assembled backend stack with one reactive platform and value developer velocity over infrastructure control. | Nobody — the platform shut down on March 31, 2024. Use Replicate, Modal, RunPod, Beam, or Baseten for serverless GPU inference. |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | — |
| RAM | — | — |
| Storage | 1 GB | — |
| Bandwidth | — | — |
| SLA uptime | — | — |
| Data-center count | 3 | — |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | US East (N. Virginia), EU West, Canada Central | — |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tierapi access | gpu availableus datacenterapi access |
| Visit Convex → | Visit Banana → | |
Convex
Pros
- + Replaces a whole backend stack — database, functions, sync, search, storage and auth — with end-to-end TypeScript type safety and ACID transactions
- + Generous economics for reactive apps: query/mutation compute free on serverless, plus a real free plan and pay-as-you-go Starter tier
- + All unit rates and per-tier limits published, including an honest 1.3x regional multiplier for EU and Canada
- + Core backend open-sourced (March 2024) with self-hosting option — genuine lock-in relief uncommon in this category
- + Well-funded ($110.5M through a $57M Series B in 2026), SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA compliant, with named production customers at real scale
Cons
- - Document model is not SQL — poor fit for Postgres estates, analyst workflows and BI tooling
- - Usage-based metering can surprise chatty clients; no hard spend caps on paid tiers
- - Support SLAs are a paid feature: 30-minute P1 response only in $1,000–$2,000/month premier tiers
- - TypeScript-first to the point of exclusion — a non-starter for non-TS teams
- - Self-hosting the open-source backend is an operational project most teams will only use as an escape hatch
Banana
Pros
- + Historical: developer-friendly Docker/Potassium deployment with scale-to-zero GPU autoscaling
- + Historical: per-second GPU billing with no charge while idle
- + Historical: warm pools and model caching reduced cold starts for popular models
- + The founder published an unusually candid shutdown account and migration guidance
Cons
- - Permanently shut down on March 31, 2024 — the service cannot be purchased or used
- - Pricing was opaque even while alive ($1,200/month Team tier, per-GPU costs unpublished)
- - No published uptime SLA and no independent benchmarks
- - Startup platform risk realized: GPU economics forced closure within two months' notice
- - Third-party listings of its pricing and features conflict and cannot be verified against a live product
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