Both tools have similar popularity levels, with Convex having 12,371 stars and Instant having 10,387 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Convex has 795 forks, indicating moderate developer engagement.

Convex is growing faster, adding 204 stars in the last 30 days (+1.7%) against adding 35 stars for Instant (+0.3%). Convex is both larger and pulling further ahead.

Both projects show recent activity, with Convex last updated 12 hours ago and Instant 21 hours ago.

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript, JSX, Next.js, Vue. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Convex uses Python, Golang, C, Rust, Objective-C, Ruby, Kotlin, MATLAB, SvelteKit, Remix while Instant leverages Java, Nuxt.js, Clojure.

Both projects started around the same time, with Convex beginning 2 years ago and Instant 2 years ago.

Instant is licensed under Apache-2.0, while Convex's license terms are not publicly specified.

Both tools serve similar use cases in Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS). However, they also have distinct specializations: Instant extends into NoSQL & Document Databases.

Convex provides self-hosting options for complete data control and customization, while Instant may be primarily cloud-based or require different deployment approaches.