Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Convex
| Feature | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Convex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $25/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | enterprises, startups, large-scale-applications, machine-learning-teams | full-stack-developers, real-time-apps, startups, rapid-prototyping |
| Founded | 2006 | 2021 |
| Compute Ec2 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Storage S3 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Serverless Lambda | ✓ | ✗ |
| Databases Rds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Machine Learning | ✓ | ✗ |
| Containers Ecs | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cdn Cloudfront | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Database | ✗ | ✓ |
| Serverless Functions | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Storage | ✗ | ✓ |
| Authentication | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vector Search | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Amazon Web Services (AWS) Pros
- Most extensive service catalog of any cloud provider
- Global infrastructure with 30+ regions worldwide
- 12-month free tier covering many services
- Mature enterprise tooling and compliance certifications
✗ Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cons
- Complex pricing that is hard to predict
- Steep learning curve with overwhelming service count
- Console UI feels dated compared to competitors
✓ Convex Pros
- Real-time by default
- TypeScript-first
- Built-in auth and file storage
- Automatic caching
✗ Convex Cons
- Vendor lock-in
- Newer platform
- Limited to Convex runtime
The Verdict
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is built for enterprises and startups, with a focus on compute-ec2 and storage-s3. Convex targets full stack developers and real time apps and leads with real-time-database and serverless-functions.
On pricing, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $25/mo for Convex. That $25/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Convex takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.