Migrating Off Convex to Kubernetes: How to Move to Postgres and Run It in Your Own Cloud

Migrating from Convex to PostgreSQL and Kubernetes involves three parallel workstreams: transferring document data into a relational schema, replacing Convex functions with an application backend, and rebuilding real-time subscriptions through WebSockets, SSE, PostgreSQL notifications, change data capture, or managed services. The move is most relevant for teams requiring SQL joins and analytics access, cloud-account ownership, regulatory controls, PostgreSQL extensions, or more predictable costs, while smaller teams centered on reactive functionality may benefit from remaining on Convex or self-hosting it instead. Convex exports provide JSONL documents, system IDs, timestamps, and optional file storage, which can be mapped into PostgreSQL using tables, foreign keys, child tables for embedded objects, JSONB for flexible unions, and retained unique Convex IDs to support idempotent two-pass imports. A recommended low-risk approach uses staged backfills, dual writes, shadow reads and data comparisons, feature-flagged read cutovers, and a final retirement of Convex after a stable period, with explicit rollback thresholds. The migration also requires replacing capabilities such as authentication, file storage, scheduled jobs, transaction handling, deployments, and subscription consistency, while accounting for PostgreSQL transaction retries, cron idempotency, event-delivery limits, and cross-pod fan-out. Kubernetes can host the resulting API, real-time service, workers, and scheduled tasks alongside managed PostgreSQL and object storage, either through a platform team or through managed deployment platforms that operate infrastructure within the organization’s cloud account.

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