Software · head to head
3scale vs GraphQL Playground
3scale
Software
API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs
- From
- $300/monthly
- Rated
- -
GraphQL Playground
Software
GraphQL IDE and documentation tool for building GraphQL APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only GraphQL Playground has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 3scale red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date; GraphQL Playground apollo's own documentation states GraphQL Playground is officially retired and no longer recommended, directing users to Apollo Sandbox instead
- They diverge on capability: 3scale covers API Gateway, GraphQL Playground covers Query building.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3scale and GraphQL Playground actually diverge.
| Attribute | 3scale | GraphQL Playground |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $300/monthly | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid | Web, Electron, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 1993 | 2018 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 3scale
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- API Monetization
- Red Hat OpenShift
- AWS
- Azure
- Kubernetes
- Cloud support
Only in GraphQL Playground
- Query building
- Schema introspection
- Real-time testing
- GraphQL servers
- Apollo Studio
- Custom servers
- Web support
- Electron support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3scale
- API gateway and lifecycle managementnot GraphQL Playground
- Rate limiting and traffic control across API consumersnot GraphQL Playground
- Developer portal and access key managementnot GraphQL Playground
- Monetising APIs with usage-based plansnot GraphQL Playground
- Hybrid deployment across on-premises and cloudnot GraphQL Playground
GraphQL Playground
- API Developmentnot 3scale
- API Gatewaynot 3scale
- API Testingnot 3scale
- API Documentationnot 3scale
- Microservicesnot 3scale
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
3scale
- Red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date
- Sold as part of Red Hat middleware rather than standalone, and 3scale.net redirects into redhat.com
- Pricing is not published and a subscription is required for some services
GraphQL Playground
- Apollo's own documentation states GraphQL Playground is officially retired and no longer recommended, directing users to Apollo Sandbox instead
Pricing, plan by plan
3scale
$300/monthly- Starter$300/monthly
- API gateway
- Developer portal
- Basic analytics
- Professional$750/monthly
- Advanced features
- API monetization
- Enhanced support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- Dedicated support
- Premium SLA
GraphQL Playground
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full GraphQL IDE
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose 3scale if
- You need api gateway.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want developer portal.
Choose GraphQL Playground if
- You need query building.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Electron, Self-hosted.
- You also want schema introspection.
Questions people ask
- Is 3scale or GraphQL Playground better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3scale starts at $300/monthly and GraphQL Playground at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3scale or GraphQL Playground?
- GraphQL Playground has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/monthly for 3scale and Free for GraphQL Playground.
- Does 3scale or GraphQL Playground run on more platforms?
- 3scale runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. GraphQL Playground runs on Web, Electron, Self-hosted.
- Can I use GraphQL Playground for free?
- Yes. GraphQL Playground has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3scale starts at $300/monthly.
- What is 3scale best used for?
- 3scale is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers, developer portal and access key management, monetising apis with usage-based plans. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers are not what GraphQL Playground is typically brought in for.
- What can 3scale do that GraphQL Playground cannot?
- 3scale covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Monetization, Red Hat OpenShift. GraphQL Playground covers Query building, Schema introspection, Real-time testing, GraphQL servers.