Convex vs Napkin
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Convex and Napkin.
Quick Verdict
4.0/5
Convex
0 reviews
3.5/5
Napkin
0 reviews
Convex is rated higher (4.0 vs 3.5). 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. Napkin lets you write and run Node.js and Python serverless functions directly in the browser with zero setup, deploying them as authenticated HTTP endpoints.
Convex TypeScript-first backend platform with real-time sync and serverless functions | Napkin Write and deploy Node.js and Python functions as HTTP endpoints from a browser editor | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.0 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.5 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| 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. | Developers who need an HTTP endpoint today — webhooks, bots, scheduled automations, and prototypes — without opening a cloud console or running infrastructure. |
| 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 | free tier |
| Visit Convex → | Visit Napkin → | |
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
Napkin
Pros
- + Genuinely free plan: $0/month with 25,000 API calls, unlimited functions, custom domains, and team invites
- + One-click deploy from a browser editor — Node.js and Python, no cloud console or CLI required
- + Clear published limits: 500 MB/0.5 vCPU free (2 GB/2 vCPU Pro), 15s/30s timeouts, explicit rate caps
- + Endpoint SSL, auth, production logs, and scheduled triggers included on both tiers
- + Pro tier is capacity-only at $10 per user per month — no feature gating, no sales call
Cons
- - No published SLA, regions, or data residency; small-vendor reliability story
- - Free tier caps at 5 requests/second and a 15-second timeout — real design constraints
- - Browser-only workflow with no local development story and no obvious export path
- - Node.js and Python only — no Go, Rust, PHP, or Ruby runtimes
- - Stale limit figures circulate on marketing and third-party pages, so verify before budgeting
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