VibeFast

Supabase vs Convex: Which is Better for React Native?

The ultimate code showdown. See how Supabase (SQL) and Convex (TypeScript) handle the same real-time features in a React Native app.

This isn't just about features; it's about how you write code.

Supabase is for developers who think in tables and SQL. Convex is for developers who think in functions and state.

Let's look at the actual code differences for a simple feature: Fetching a list of tasks.

The Code Showdown

Option A: Supabase (The SQL Way)

Supabase feels like a traditional backend. You query tables.

// 1. Manually handle state
const [tasks, setTasks] = useState([]);

// 2. Fetch data
useEffect(() => {
  const fetchTasks = async () => {
    const { data } = await supabase.from("tasks").select("*");
    setTasks(data);
  };
  fetchTasks();
}, []);

// 3. For real-time, you need a separate subscription
useEffect(() => {
  const subscription = supabase
    .channel("tasks")
    .on(
      "postgres_changes",
      { event: "*", schema: "public", table: "tasks" },
      (payload) => {
        // Manually merge new data into state
        setTasks((current) => [...current, payload.new]);
      }
    )
    .subscribe();

  return () => supabase.removeChannel(subscription);
}, []);

Verdict: Powerful, but requires manual state management and useEffect glue code.

Option B: Convex (The Reactive Way)

Convex feels like a magic global state manager.

// 1. One line. Real-time by default.
const tasks = useQuery(api.tasks.list);

// That's it. The component re-renders automatically when data changes.

The backend function is just TypeScript:

// convex/tasks.ts
export const list = query({
  handler: async (ctx) => {
    return await ctx.db.query("tasks").collect();
  },
});

Verdict: Drastically less code on the frontend. Type-safe from end-to-end.

When to Choose Which?

Choose Supabase if:

  • You have complex relational data (many-to-many joins).
  • You need to query data from outside your app (like a python script).
  • You want strict row-level security policies (RLS) defined in SQL.

Choose Convex if:

  • You are building a collaborative app (chat, whiteboard, live cursors).
  • You hate writing useEffect and managing cache invalidation.
  • You want to move incredibly fast with a TypeScript-only stack.

The VibeFast Pro Approach

We don't force you to choose. VibeFast Pro includes robust setups for BOTH.

  • Supabase Stack: Pre-configured Auth, Database, and Storage types.
  • Convex Stack: Pre-configured Auth, Sync, and Mutations.

You pick the backend; we provide the production-ready code.