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Apollo GraphQL vs Sanity

Apollo GraphQL logo

Apollo GraphQL

Software

GraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sanity logo

Sanity

Software

Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apollo GraphQL pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.; Sanity free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • They diverge on capability: Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, Sanity covers Content API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apollo GraphQL and Sanity actually diverge.

Attributes where Apollo GraphQL and Sanity differ
AttributeApollo GraphQLSanity
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Platformsweb, apiWeb
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sanity

  • Content API
  • Collaborative editing
  • Structured content
  • Webhooks
  • Third-party services
  • GROQ query language
  • Cloud support
  • JavaScript SDK 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 Sanity
  • Wrapping legacy REST APIs for frontend consumptionnot Sanity
  • Enterprise API governance with schema checks and audit logsnot Sanity
  • Reducing frontend over-fetching and under-fetching of datanot Sanity

Sanity

  • Headless CMS for structured content managementnot Apollo GraphQL
  • Collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer supportnot Apollo GraphQL
  • API-driven content delivery with GROQ query languagenot 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.

Sanity

  • Free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • Free plan supports only public datasets
  • Growth plan capped at 50 seats maximum
  • Private datasets, scheduled drafts, and comments/tasks require paid plans
  • Annual billing unavailable for Growth plan; Enterprise-only

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

Sanity

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sanity review.

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.
Apollo GraphQL review

Choose Sanity if

  • You need content api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want collaborative editing.
Sanity review

Questions people ask

Is Apollo GraphQL or Sanity better?
Neither clearly leads. Apollo GraphQL starts at Free and Sanity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apollo GraphQL or Sanity?
Apollo GraphQL starts at Free and Sanity at Free.
Does Apollo GraphQL or Sanity run on more platforms?
Apollo GraphQL runs on web, api. Sanity runs on Web.
Can I use Apollo GraphQL for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Sanity is typically brought in for.
What can Apollo GraphQL do that Sanity cannot?
Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, GraphOS Router, Schema registry, Schema checks. Sanity covers Content API, Collaborative editing, Structured content, Webhooks.

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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