Pusher vs Convex(2026)
Pusher is better for teams that need simple to integrate. Convex is the stronger choice if real-time by default. Pusher is freemium (from $49/month) and Convex is freemium (from $25/month).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
Affiliate disclosure: Some “Visit” links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you. It does not affect our rankings or editorial coverage. Learn more.
Pusher
Pusher provides hosted realtime APIs (WebSockets) for adding live features to web and mobile apps.
Starting at $49/month
Visit PusherConvex
Convex is a reactive backend platform where database queries automatically push updates to clients in real time.
Starting at $25/month
Visit ConvexHow Do Pusher and Convex Compare on Features?
| Feature | Pusher | Convex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | $49/month | $25/month |
| WebSocket channels | ✓ | — |
| Presence channels | ✓ | — |
| Private channels | ✓ | — |
| Webhooks | ✓ | — |
| Client libraries | ✓ | — |
| Encrypted connections | ✓ | — |
| Reactive queries | — | ✓ |
| TypeScript functions | — | ✓ |
| Built-in database | — | ✓ |
| File storage | — | ✓ |
| Scheduled jobs | — | ✓ |
| Auth integration | — | ✓ |
Pusher Pros and Cons vs Convex
P
Pusher
+Simple to integrate
+Battle-tested reliability
+Multiple language SDKs
+Presence feature built-in
−Expensive for high connection counts
−No self-hosted option
−Limited message history
C
Convex
+Real-time by default
+TypeScript end-to-end
+No separate WebSocket setup
+Excellent DX
−Full platform lock-in
−Custom query language
−Not for existing backends
Should You Use Pusher or Convex?
Choose Pusher if…
- •Simple to integrate
- •Battle-tested reliability
- •Multiple language SDKs
Choose Convex if…
- •Real-time by default
- •TypeScript end-to-end
- •No separate WebSocket setup