> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pylonsync.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Pylon vs. Convex > Pylon and Convex are the two TypeScript-first reactive backends. Here's how they actually differ. [Convex](https://convex.dev) is the closest sibling to Pylon — both pitch "TypeScript backend with reactive queries and managed sync." If you're choosing between them, here's an honest comparison. ## TL;DR * **Choose Convex** if you want a polished pure-TS experience, you'll stay on their cloud (or accept their FSL-licensed self-host), and you don't need game shards or facets. * **Choose Pylon** if you want a single-binary self-host, FOSS license, native faceted search, or in-process functions that share a transaction with your writes. ## Same shape Both ship: * Reactive queries that auto-update the UI when data changes * TypeScript-first server functions (mutation / query / action) * Schema as code * Real-time WebSocket sync * Built-in auth + file storage * Self-host options * React, React Native, and Next.js SDKs ## Where they differ ### Process model | | Pylon | Convex | | ---------------------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | Single binary | ✅ | ⚠️ prebuilt binary available; Docker is recommended | | Multi-service docker-compose | n/a | ✅ | | Default backing store | SQLite/Postgres | SQLite, Postgres, or another configured store | Pylon ships as one Rust binary. Convex's self-hosted product can run from Docker or a prebuilt backend binary, with the dashboard and CLI included. For a hobby project on a \$5 VPS, Pylon installs in 30 seconds with no Docker. For a production deployment, both work; the operational story is different. ### License | | License | | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Pylon | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | | Convex | [FSL (Functional Source License)](https://convex.dev/blog/announcing-self-hosted-convex) — converts to Apache 2.0 after 2 years | Convex's license bars you from offering a competing managed Convex service for the first 2 years after each release. For 99% of users this is irrelevant; it matters if you're building a BaaS-on-top-of-a-BaaS. Pylon's MIT/Apache means you can do anything. ### Search Convex has [full-text search](https://docs.convex.dev/search/text-search) — keyword + prefix matching. It does **not** have native facets — you'd build them with regular queries on top. Pylon ships SQLite FTS5 + roaring-bitmap facets out of the box. `useSearch("Post", { facets: ["tags", "authorId"] })` returns hits + live `facetCounts` in one call. For an Algolia-style faceted UI without paying Algolia, Pylon is the cleaner story. ### Game shards Convex has no concept of authoritative tick-based game state. If you're building a Slack-like app, you don't need it. If you're building a multiplayer game or a Figma-style cursor-presence app, Pylon's `Shard` primitive is a real thing Convex doesn't replicate. One caveat to be clear about: that shard simulation is authored in **Rust** (the `pylon_realtime` crate), with a `useShard` React hook to connect from the client — there's no TypeScript API for the server-side shard logic today. ### Pricing | | Pylon | Convex | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Self-host | Your infra | Your infra, FSL bound | | Free / starter | Hobby plan or self-hosted infra | Free or Starter pay-as-you-go plan | | Team seats | Included in self-hosted apps; Cloud plan based | Professional plan charges per developer seat | | Large teams | Team plan + machine compute, or self-hosted infra | Business/Enterprise minimums | Pylon Cloud pricing is based on a platform plan plus machine compute and included quotas. Convex's [pricing page](https://www.convex.dev/pricing) combines hosted usage, team seats, and higher-tier minimums. ### Editor / Studio | | Pylon | Convex | | ------------------ | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Built-in inspector | ✅ Pylon Studio at `/studio` | ✅ Convex dashboard | | Self-hosted | Studio ships with the binary | Dashboard is included in the self-hosted product | Both have web-based inspectors. Pylon's runs against your local binary by default; Convex's hosted dashboard is the default for cloud projects, and the self-hosted product includes its own dashboard. ### CRDTs Pylon integrates [Loro](https://loro.dev) for collaborative text/lists/maps/trees — true CRDTs with conflict-free convergence. Convex has reactive queries that automatically reconcile updates, but does not ship a CRDT library; for collaborative editing you'd integrate Yjs or Loro yourself. ## Where Convex is better * **Pure-TS dev loop** — Convex has invested heavily in DX polish. Type inference flows end-to-end without codegen. Pylon requires `pylon codegen` (one CLI call); Convex's TypeScript flow is a bit tighter. * **Larger team behind it** — well-funded YC company, more docs, more examples. * **Scheduled functions** — Convex has clean durable primitives for scheduled jobs. Pylon has a durable scheduler (`ctx.scheduler.runAfter`) and background jobs too, but Convex's scheduler UI is more polished. (Pylon's multi-step durable `@pylonsync/workflows` package is still early / not yet published.) * **Convex Vector Search** — first-class vector search; Pylon has the `vector_search` plugin but Convex's is more featureful. ## Where Pylon is better * **Small footprint** — install the pylon binary + Bun on a VPS, or `pylon deploy`. No Docker daemon. * **Faceted search** — first-class with live counts. Convex requires custom queries. * **Game shards** — `Shard` for tick-based authority (authored in Rust; `useShard` hook on the client). * **Open license** — MIT/Apache, not FSL. * **Plugin ecosystem** — 20+ built-in plugins (TOTP, audit log, webhooks, MCP, etc.) you flip on in the manifest. * **Self-host on day one** — Convex's self-host is recent and the OSS bundle hasn't reached the polish of their hosted offering yet. ## Migrating from Convex | Convex | Pylon equivalent | | ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `defineSchema(...)` | `buildManifest({ entities: [...] })` | | `query`, `mutation`, `action` | Same names; identical mental model | | `useQuery(api.tasks.list)` | `useQuery("Task")` | | `ctx.db.insert("tasks", {...})` | `ctx.db.insert("Task", {...})` | | Convex auth | Magic codes / password / OAuth | | Convex file storage | `/api/files/init` → direct PUT → `/api/files/confirm` (Stack0 / S3 / local) | | Convex scheduled functions | `ctx.scheduler.runAfter(...)` or background jobs | | Convex search index | Per-entity `search` config | Most of the dev surface is 1:1. The biggest delta is the codegen step (Pylon) vs. inline TS types (Convex) — one extra CLI call. ## Honest weakness Convex has more developer-mindshare and more polish on edge cases (reactive query batching, type inference depth, IDE integration). If you want the most-polished pure-TS reactive backend and don't need single-binary self-host, faceted search, or Rust game shards, Convex is a great choice. ## Both / and Convex on web + Pylon for game shards is a legitimate combo if your team prefers Convex's TS surface for app data and you need authoritative tick-based simulation for a multiplayer feature — bearing in mind that the shard simulation itself is written in Rust. The wire formats are different — you'd be running both backends — but it's a real option.