Spreadsheets · head to head
APITable vs Apollo GraphQL
APITable
Spreadsheets
Open source spreadsheet database with an API first design and an embeddable widget system
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Apollo GraphQL
APIs
GraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: APITable records are held in the product own schema rather than as native database tables, so the practical row ceiling is a product limit and large tables should be load tested before commitment.; Apollo GraphQL pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.
- They diverge on capability: APITable covers API first design, Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which APITable and Apollo GraphQL actually diverge.
| Attribute | APITable | Apollo GraphQL |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Open source, no licence fee | freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Linux | web, api |
| Category | Spreadsheets | APIs |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 APITable
- API first design
- Widget SDK
- Embeddable views
- Multiple view types
- Linked records and formulas
- Self hosting
- Real time collaboration
Only in Apollo GraphQL
- Apollo Connectors
- GraphOS Router
- Schema registry
- Schema checks
- Response caching
- Audit logging
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
APITable
- Embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another toolnot Apollo GraphQL
- An internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the API and only occasionally by peoplenot Apollo GraphQL
- A self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost drivernot Apollo GraphQL
- Building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting toolnot Apollo GraphQL
Apollo GraphQL
- Federating multiple backend services into one GraphQL APInot APITable
- Wrapping legacy REST APIs for frontend consumptionnot APITable
- Enterprise API governance with schema checks and audit logsnot APITable
- Reducing frontend over-fetching and under-fetching of datanot APITable
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
APITable
- Records are held in the product own schema rather than as native database tables, so the practical row ceiling is a product limit and large tables should be load tested before commitment.
- The hosted free tier caps records per space, so evaluating on the cloud version gives a misleading picture of what the software can do when self hosted.
- Automation is thin compared with the commercial alternatives, and most real workflows end up in an external automation tool.
- The self hosted deployment is heavier than a single container, so running it properly means managing several services rather than one.
- Documentation and community activity are uneven in English, and finding an answer to an operational problem can take longer than the problem itself deserves.
Apollo GraphQL
- Pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.
- Adopting GraphOS effectively requires buy-in to the GraphQL paradigm, which is a larger architectural shift than adding a REST gateway.
- The free plan's 1-day data retention and 60 req/min self-hosted router limit make it unsuitable for production use.
- Volume-based per-request pricing can become expensive at very high request volumes compared to flat-rate API gateways.
Pricing, plan by plan
APITable
Free- Self hosted open sourceFree
- No licence fee
- No product record cap on self hosted deployments
- Docker and Kubernetes deployment
Apollo GraphQL
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 3 developers
- 1-day data retention
- Community support
- Developer$5/month
- $5 per million requests with volume discounts
- $50 usage credit for new signups
- Up to 10 developers
- Standard$undefined/month
- Up to 30 developers
- 90-day data retention
- Standard support with SLA
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited developers
- 18-month data retention
- 24x7x365 support with SLA
Which should you pick?
Choose APITable if
- You need api first design.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Linux.
- You also want widget sdk.
Choose Apollo GraphQL if
- You need apollo connectors.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want graphos router.
Questions people ask
- Is APITable or Apollo GraphQL better?
- Neither clearly leads. APITable starts at Free and Apollo GraphQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, APITable or Apollo GraphQL?
- APITable starts at Free and Apollo GraphQL at Free.
- Does APITable or Apollo GraphQL run on more platforms?
- APITable runs on Web, Linux. Apollo GraphQL runs on web, api.
- Can I use APITable for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is APITable best used for?
- APITable is most often used for embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another tool, an internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the api and only occasionally by people, a self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost driver, building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting tool. Of those, embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another tool and an internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the api and only occasionally by people are not what Apollo GraphQL is typically brought in for.
- What can APITable do that Apollo GraphQL cannot?
- APITable covers API first design, Widget SDK, Embeddable views, Multiple view types. Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, GraphOS Router, Schema registry, Schema checks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
APITable: What is the record limit?
The self hosted edition has no product cap, but performance is bounded by the internal schema rather than by your database. Test at your expected size.
Apollo GraphQL: What does Apollo GraphQL cost?
The Free plan supports up to 3 developers at no cost. Developer plan starts at $5 per million requests with a $50 signup credit, while Standard and Enterprise require contacting sales for custom pricing.
SourceAPITable: Can I embed it in my own product?
Yes, and that is the main reason to choose it. Views embed and the widget SDK extends them.
Apollo GraphQL: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?
Yes, the Free 'Forever Free' plan supports up to 3 developers, 1-day data retention for checks and insights, and a self-hosted router capped at 60 requests per minute.
SourceAPITable: Is the hosted version representative?
No. Its free tier caps records per space, which is a commercial limit rather than a technical one.
Apollo GraphQL: How is usage metered on paid plans?
Standard requests are billed per million operations with tiered volume discounts, starting at $5.00/million for the first 250M and dropping to $3.00/million beyond 5B, with similar tiered pricing for subscription update events.
SourceAPITable: How hard is self hosting?
Harder than a single container. Plan for several services and someone to keep them running.
APITable: Does it do automations?
Lightly. Expect to pair it with an external automation tool for anything multi step.
Related pages
More on Apollo GraphQL
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