Convex vs Wasp
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Convex | Wasp |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,604 | ★ 18,745 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Firebase | Firebase |
What are Convex and Wasp?
Convex
Convex is an open-source reactive application backend that combines a database, server functions and realtime sync addressed entirely through TypeScript. The backend can be self-hosted with Docker.
- Reactive database
- TypeScript functions
- Realtime sync
- Self-hostable
Wasp
Wasp is an open-source language and framework for building full-stack web apps with React, Node.js and Prisma using a concise declarative config. The generated apps are deployed and self-hosted as standard containers.
- Declarative app config
- Full-stack React + Node
- Built-in auth
- Self-hosted deploys
Convex vs Wasp: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Convex versus MIT for Wasp. Wasp is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Convex. Wasp is the more established project (first released 2021), while Convex arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose Convex if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 12.6k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Wasp if…
- Concise declarative config
- Auth built in
- Full stack from one spec
Watch out for
- Own DSL to learn
- Young evolving framework
Frequently asked questions
Is Convex or Wasp better?
Neither is universally better. Wasp has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Convex and Wasp free and open-source?
Yes. Convex is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Wasp under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Convex and Wasp with Docker?
Convex: yes. Wasp: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Convex or Wasp?
Wasp has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Convex. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.