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Apollo GraphQL vs Boomi API Management

Apollo GraphQL logo

Apollo GraphQL

Software

GraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs

From
Free
Rated
-
Boomi API Management logo

Boomi API Management

Software

Unified API management within the Boomi integration platform

From
$1500/monthly
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Apollo GraphQL has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apollo GraphQL pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.; Boomi API Management pricing is not published on the product page and defers to the wider Boomi pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, Boomi API Management covers API Design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apollo GraphQL and Boomi API Management actually diverge.

Attributes where Apollo GraphQL and Boomi API Management differ
AttributeApollo GraphQLBoomi API Management
Starting priceFree$1500/monthly
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiCloud, Hybrid
FoundedUnknown2000

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 Apollo GraphQL

  • Apollo Connectors
  • GraphOS Router
  • Schema registry
  • Schema checks
  • Response caching
  • Audit logging

Only in Boomi API Management

  • API Design
  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • Boomi AtomSphere
  • SAP
  • Salesforce
  • NetSuite
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apollo GraphQL

  • Federating multiple backend services into one GraphQL APInot Boomi API Management
  • Wrapping legacy REST APIs for frontend consumptionnot Boomi API Management
  • Enterprise API governance with schema checks and audit logsnot Boomi API Management
  • Reducing frontend over-fetching and under-fetching of datanot Boomi API Management

Boomi API Management

  • Discovering and governing APIs across multiple gatewaysnot Apollo GraphQL
  • Policy enforcement and security scoring on published APIsnot Apollo GraphQL
  • Developer portal for internal and partner consumersnot Apollo GraphQL
  • API analytics and performance monitoringnot Apollo GraphQL
  • Exposing APIs to AI agents through Model Context Protocolnot Apollo GraphQL

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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.

Boomi API Management

  • Pricing is not published on the product page and defers to the wider Boomi pricing
  • Most valuable inside the Boomi platform, so it draws an organisation toward one vendor for integration and APIs together

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Boomi API Management

$1500/monthly
  • Professional$1500/monthly
    • API Gateway
    • Developer Portal
    • Basic analytics
  • Enterprise$4000/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Multi-environment
    • Premium support
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • SLA guarantee

Which should you pick?

Choose Apollo GraphQL if

  • You need apollo connectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want graphos router.

Choose Boomi API Management if

  • You need api design.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid.
  • You also want api gateway.

Questions people ask

Is Apollo GraphQL or Boomi API Management better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo GraphQL starts at Free and Boomi API Management at $1500/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo GraphQL or Boomi API Management?
Apollo GraphQL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apollo GraphQL and $1500/monthly for Boomi API Management.
Does Apollo GraphQL or Boomi API Management run on more platforms?
Apollo GraphQL runs on web, api. Boomi API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid.
Can I use Apollo GraphQL for free?
Yes. Apollo GraphQL has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Boomi API Management starts at $1500/monthly.
What is Apollo GraphQL best used for?
Apollo GraphQL is most often used for federating multiple backend services into one graphql api, wrapping legacy rest apis for frontend consumption, enterprise api governance with schema checks and audit logs, reducing frontend over-fetching and under-fetching of data. Of those, federating multiple backend services into one graphql api and wrapping legacy rest apis for frontend consumption are not what Boomi API Management is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo GraphQL do that Boomi API Management cannot?
Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, GraphOS Router, Schema registry, Schema checks. Boomi API Management covers API Design, API Gateway, Developer Portal, Boomi AtomSphere.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Source
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.

Source
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.

Source
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