Convex Self-Hosted
The actual Convex backend and reactive function runtime on your own server; auth still comes from an external provider.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Free tier / Free tool)
- License
- FSL-1.1-ALv2
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- Installation
- Docker Compose for the Convex backend and dashboard
- Operational Setup
- The first hurdle is not Docker itself but replacing Convex Cloud's managed envelope: configure instance secrets, a public URL/TLS, external authentication, durable volumes, backups, monitoring, and upgrades.
- Where Your Data Lives
- Database state, scheduled-function state, indexes, and file-storage objects are kept in Convex's internal representation inside persistent volumes controlled by the self-hosted backend; this is not a user-facing SQL database. Application functions remain in the project's source tree and are pushed to that deployment.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- This is Convex's actual runtime, but the subscription savings remove managed scaling, backups, monitoring, upgrades, incident response, and integrated authentication from the package.
Replaces 1 paid app
Convex Self-Hosted FAQ
Common questions
Is Convex Self-Hosted free and open source?+
Convex Self-Hosted is a free tool that runs on self-host. The actual Convex backend and reactive function runtime on your own server; auth still comes from an external provider.
What paid software does Convex Self-Hosted replace?+
Convex Self-Hosted serves as a free replacement for 1 paid SaaS application: Convex.
How do you install and set up Convex Self-Hosted?+
Installation: Docker Compose for the Convex backend and dashboard. Setup notes: The first hurdle is not Docker itself but replacing Convex Cloud's managed envelope: configure instance secrets, a public URL/TLS, external authentication, durable volumes, backups, monitoring, and upgrades.
What is the catch or trade-off with Convex Self-Hosted?+
This is Convex's actual runtime, but the subscription savings remove managed scaling, backups, monitoring, upgrades, incident response, and integrated authentication from the package.