Convex vs Grafana — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Convex starts at $25/mo. Grafana starts at $19/mo. Grafana is $6/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Convex.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Convex (Unknown model) — Convex bills on a fixed plan from $25/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
- Grafana (Per Usage) — Grafana bills on usage — $19/mo Pro base + pay-per-metric/log/trace GB above free tier on top of a paid plan starting at $19/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Reactive backend platform positioned as the alternative to Firebase for TypeScript developers who want end-to-end type safety + real-time subscriptions without configuring WebSockets. Distinctive per-developer pricing ($25/dev/mo Professional) instead of usage-based — predictable bills regardless of data volume or query count. Free tier is generous for solo projects. Popular with venture-backed startups building interactive AI/collaboration apps.
Grafana Cloud packages open-source observability (Prometheus, Loki, Tempo, Pyroscope, k6) as a managed platform with unified metrics, logs, traces, profiles, and load testing. Free tier includes 14-day retention across all data types plus community support. Pro from $19/mo adds 13-month metrics retention + 30-day logs/traces/profiles + email support + pay-as-you-go usage above generous free allowances. Enterprise starts at $25K/year commit with premium support and Federal/BYO Cloud deployment.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Convex monthly | Convex annual | Grafana monthly | Grafana annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Professional / Pro | $25 | $25 | $19 | $19 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Convex is worth it if… Convex is the reactive backend-as-a-service for developers who want real-time database + serverless functions + file storage — all with TypeScript type safety end-to-end. Free tier covers development and small production apps; Starter (free with usage-based overages) removes hard caps; Professional adds team features.
Grafana is worth it if… Grafana Cloud is ideal for engineering teams who want open-source observability without operating the stack themselves. Best if you're comfortable with usage-based pricing that scales with metric volume rather than per-host commits.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Convex over Grafana if…
Choose Convex if…
- You're comfortable with Convex's from $25/mo entry point.
- You match the profile Convex is built for: the reactive backend-as-a-service for developers who want real-time database + serverless functions + file storage — all with TypeScript type safety end-to-end.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Grafana if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile Grafana is built for: Grafana Cloud is ideal for engineering teams who want open-source observability without operating the stack themselves.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Convex | Grafana | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $25/mo | $19/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | — | Per Usage |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 27, 2026. Tracked daily.