Convex + React
IntermediateWeb AppClient-side React with a real-time, authenticated Convex backend: reactive data without SSR complexity.
Published 27 September 2026
About Convex + React
Convex + React is the client-side version of the Convex stack: a pure React SPA that subscribes to Convex's real-time backend without a Next.js SSR layer in between. This makes it simpler to reason about than Convex + Next.js: there is no server-side rendering, no hydration mismatch, no edge runtime to configure. The React app runs entirely in the browser and receives live data updates from Convex through WebSocket subscriptions.
Convex functions (queries, mutations, actions) are TypeScript functions deployed to Convex cloud. Calling useQuery(api.posts.list) in a React component subscribes to that query's results; whenever the underlying data changes, the component re-renders with fresh data, with no polling, no manual cache invalidation. Mutations are called like regular async functions. The entire data layer (storage, real-time sync, auth, scheduled tasks, and file storage) is handled by Convex.
TypeScript types flow from the Convex schema file to React components without any code generation step, which means renaming a database field causes compiler errors in every component that uses it. This stack is optimised for speed of development over SEO or initial load performance. It suits internal tools, collaboration apps, and real-time dashboards where the users are authenticated and first-load performance is secondary to data freshness.
Key Features
- ✓useQuery hook subscribes to real-time data, so components update automatically when server data changes
- ✓useMutation hook sends writes to Convex as typed TypeScript function calls
- ✓End-to-end TypeScript types from Convex schema to React props, with no code generation
- ✓Convex handles auth, file storage, scheduled cron jobs, and background actions built-in
- ✓No SSR complexity: pure client-side React for simpler mental model
- ✓Convex dashboard provides a live view of all data, function logs, and execution history
When to Use Convex + React
- →Real-time collaborative tools (shared workspaces, live editing, presence indicators)
- →Internal dashboards where users are authenticated and SEO is irrelevant
- →Multi-user apps that need live updates without building WebSocket infrastructure
- →Chat and messaging apps with instant delivery
Pros
- Real-time data sync is the default, with no extra code needed to keep multiple users in sync
- Zero-configuration backend: Convex replaces database, ORM, API layer, and real-time server
- TypeScript types eliminate frontend/backend contract bugs without an OpenAPI spec
- Convex dashboard makes it easy to inspect live data and debug function execution
Cons
- No SSR means poor SEO and slower initial load, the wrong choice for public-facing content
- Convex's query and function model has no drop-in equivalent elsewhere, so the app depends on Convex even though its backend can be self-hosted
- Document model lacks SQL joins; complex relational data requires denormalisation
- Convex pricing scales with function calls and storage, which can surprise at high usage
Authentication Options for Convex + React
Convex + React with Convex Auth
Convex's own first-party authentication library: OAuth, email, and password sign-in with sessions stored directly in your Convex tables, so auth data lives in the same reactive database as the rest of the app instead of a separate provider.
Convex + React with Clerk
A managed auth platform with prebuilt sign-in/sign-up UI and social logins, wired into Convex via its official JWT integration. The pick if you want Clerk's hosted dashboard and UI components rather than owning the auth flow the way Convex Auth's in-table sessions do.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the Authentication category.
Hosting Options for Convex + React
Deploy Convex + React on Netlify
A git-based deploy platform built for static sites. Push to the connected repo and it builds and redeploys automatically, with a global CDN included at no extra cost. Convex's backend runs independently in the cloud, so this pick only decides how the React build itself is served: the free tier covers a personal or small project, and paid plans start at $9/mo (Personal), with Pro at $20/mo once a project outgrows that.
Deploy Convex + React on Vercel
Zero-config static deploys for a Vite or Create React App build, backed by Vercel's global edge network. The free Hobby tier is scoped to personal, non-commercial use; a client or commercial project needs the Pro plan, around $20/mo per seat. The choice only affects the frontend's delivery, since Convex handles the backend regardless of which host serves the build.
Deploy Convex + React on Railway
A container-based platform that runs the build as a persistent Node process rather than serving static files directly. More infrastructure than a pure client-side SPA usually needs, but a reasonable fit if the rest of the project already runs on Railway or the app needs a custom server in front of the static assets. No free tier; the Hobby plan starts around $5/mo in usage credit.
Deploy Convex + React on Firebase Hosting
Google's static hosting layer, served through Google's global CDN. The free Spark plan covers a small site (10GB storage, roughly 360MB of daily transfer), with usage-based Blaze pricing beyond that. A natural fit when the rest of the project already lives in the Firebase or GCP ecosystem, though it lacks Vercel and Netlify's framework-specific build adapters.
Deploy Convex + React on Render
A persistent-service platform with a genuinely free tier for static sites, plus its own CDN layer. Free-tier static sites do not spin down the way free web services do, which makes it a dependable low-traffic default if predictable behavior matters more than an integrated build pipeline.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the Hosting & Cloud category.
Convex + React Add-ons
Each addition below extends this stack with a capability the base stack works fine without. None are required: include the ones your product actually needs when building this stack, and skip the rest.
CI/CD Add-ons
Add CI/CD when you want a dedicated pipeline for running tests, linting, or multi-stage builds before a deploy goes out. Many hosting platforms already redeploy automatically on every push on their own — a CI/CD tool adds the most value on top of that by gating the deploy on a passing test suite, and matters even more when the hosting choice does not auto-deploy at all, such as a self-hosted server.
Convex + React with GitHub Actions
Runs the test suite and triggers deployments on every push, directly from the same GitHub repo the code already lives in, with no separate CI service to configure.
Convex + React with GitLab CI/CD
GitLab's built-in CI/CD system, configured via .gitlab-ci.yml in the repository, the natural pick if the project's code lives on GitLab (self-hosted or gitlab.com) rather than GitHub, with the same YAML-pipeline model as GitHub Actions.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the CI/CD Pipelines category.
Containerization Add-ons
Add containerization when you want the app packaged the same way across local development, staging, and production, or need to deploy somewhere that isn't a managed serverless platform.
Convex + React with Docker
Packages the app and its dependencies into a container image for consistent local development and deployment, independent of the hosting platform chosen above.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the Containerization category.
Observability Add-ons
Add observability when you want to catch errors and performance regressions in production before users have to report them.
Convex + React with Sentry
Error tracking and performance monitoring with Sentry's React SDK: error boundaries and performance tracing for the client-side app. Open-source with a self-hosted path, alongside its own managed cloud.
Convex + React with Datadog
A broader observability platform covering APM, infrastructure metrics, and log management in one dashboard, useful once a team is already running other services worth monitoring alongside the app. Managed-only, with pricing that scales by host and usage rather than Sentry's per-error volume.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the Infrastructure & APM category.
Email Add-ons
Add email when the app needs to send account verification, password reset, or notification messages.
Convex + React with Resend
A transactional email API for account verification, password resets, and notification emails, sent from a Convex action rather than a separate backend service, with a free tier for getting started.
Convex + React with SendGrid
The established high-volume choice, with dedicated IP addresses and deliverability tooling for apps sending at serious scale. There is no permanent free plan (a 60-day trial, then paid tiers), so it earns its slot when volume and deliverability matter more than upfront cost.
Convex + React with Brevo
An all-in-one platform that combines the transactional email API with marketing campaigns, a built-in CRM, and SMS from the same dashboard. Its permanent free tier of 300 emails a day with no card required makes it an easy starting pick for early-stage apps that will also want lightweight marketing sends.
Payments Add-ons
Add payments when the product is ready to charge for subscriptions or one-time purchases.
Convex + React with Stripe
Adds subscription billing, one-time checkout, and invoicing via Stripe's hosted Checkout or embedded Elements. The stack works fully without it; add this once the product is ready to charge for something.
Styling Add-ons
Add styling when you want a component or utility-class system to build the UI faster than hand-writing CSS from scratch.
Convex + React with Tailwind CSS
A utility-class CSS framework: styles are composed directly in markup via class names instead of writing separate stylesheet files. The default styling choice bundled by most modern framework CLIs, and the base layer shadcn/ui components are built on when that's loaded into the catalog in the future.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the CSS Frameworks category.
Analytics Add-ons
Add analytics when you want to measure traffic, track visitor behavior, or understand how people actually use the product.
Convex + React with PostHog
An all-in-one product analytics platform: event tracking, session replay, feature flags, and A/B testing in one SDK. The richest feature set if you want more than pageviews.
Convex + React with Google Analytics
The industry-standard, free analytics platform, with native Google Ads and Search Console integration. Requires a cookie consent banner in most jurisdictions (GDPR/CCPA), and all data lives on Google's infrastructure, the tradeoff the other three picks were built to avoid.
Convex + React with Plausible Analytics
A lightweight, privacy-first analytics tool with no cookie banner required. A good fit for simple traffic metrics without PostHog's broader feature surface.
Convex + React with Umami
Open-source and self-hostable, keeping analytics data on infrastructure you control. The natural pick if you want to avoid a third-party analytics vendor entirely.
These are highlighted picks. To see all the tools, check the Web & Product Analytics category.
Frequently Asked Questions about Convex + React
Should I use Convex Auth or Clerk?
Convex Auth is the default because it needs no separate account or SDK beyond what Convex already provides. Clerk is worth adding if you want more polished, pre-built sign-in UI or need Clerk's specific enterprise features; it has an official, documented Convex integration via a JWT template, not just a generic pairing.
How is this different from Convex + Next.js?
Same Convex backend, same auth options; the difference is entirely architectural. This stack is a client-side React SPA with no server-rendering layer, while Convex + Next.js adds React Server Components and SSR on top. Pick this one if you don't need SEO or server rendering and want the simplest possible setup; pick the Next.js version if you do.
Can I migrate away from Convex later?
Convex is the most tightly-coupled backend in this catalog: its query language, function runtime, and real-time subscriptions have no drop-in equivalent elsewhere, so migrating to a different backend means rewriting it from scratch, not swapping a client library or connection string. Leaving Convex Cloud is different: Convex's backend is open source, so moving to a self-hosted Convex deployment (see the Convex Self-Hosted stack) keeps the same code.
What's the cheapest way to run this stack?
Convex's free Hobby tier covers a generous amount of function calls, storage, and bandwidth for a small app at zero cost. The React build itself just needs a static host, which is free on Netlify, Vercel, or Firebase Hosting at this scale.
Can I host the React frontend on Convex itself, instead of a separate host?
Convex offers a community-maintained static-hosting component that can serve a built React app directly from a Convex deployment, cutting out a separate host entirely. It is not Convex's own primary recommendation: the official hosting docs still point to Vercel, Netlify, or GitHub Pages, and the component lacks custom domain support, a CDN by default, and preview deploys. It is a reasonable fit for a small prototype, but the dedicated static hosts above give a more complete production setup.
Stacks Related to Convex + React
Convex + Next.js
Project
Next.js with a real-time, authenticated Convex backend: type-safe, subscription-first full-stack.
React SPA
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Astro + Ghost Blog
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Headless Ghost CMS with an Astro frontend: a fast, SEO-optimised blog with a polished editing experience.
Next.js + PostgreSQL
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Next.js with a PostgreSQL database, an ORM, and authentication: full-stack TypeScript web apps.
Scores
Popularity2/5
Convex is a newer entrant compared to Firebase or Supabase, with a smaller community and fewer public case studies — genuinely capable, but not yet a mainstream default for real-time backends.
Learning Curve3/5
React's component model is familiar to most frontend developers, and Convex's reactive queries remove the need to hand-write data-fetching or subscription logic. The unfamiliar part is Convex's own function-based backend model, which takes a week or so to feel natural even for an experienced React developer.
Flexibility2/5
Convex is an opinionated, all-in-one backend — its own query language, its own function runtime, its own real-time subscription model. You get a lot for free, but there's little room to swap in a different database or backend pattern without leaving Convex behind entirely.
Performance4/5
Convex's reactive queries push data updates to the client automatically without polling or manual WebSocket wiring, and React's rendering stays efficient with Convex's built-in query caching. Not a 5 only because Convex's function cold-starts add latency serverless platforms with warmer runtimes don't have.
Portability1/5
Convex is the most locked-in backend in this catalog — its query language, function runtime, and real-time model have no equivalent elsewhere, so migrating away means rewriting the entire backend, not just swapping a client library.
Tools in the Convex + React Stack
Frontend Frameworks
Programming Languages
Databases
Add-ons (optional — add any, or none)
CI/CD
Containerization
Observability
Payments
Styling
Analytics
Convex + React Pricing
React and TypeScript are open-source and free. Convex's free Hobby tier covers a generous amount of function calls, database storage, and bandwidth for a small app, moving to the $25/mo Pro plan once you outgrow it. There's no separate hosting bill for the backend: Convex is fully managed, and the React build just needs a static host.
React and TypeScript are free to use.
The Hobby tier covers small apps; Pro is $25/mo for more function calls, storage and bandwidth.