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APIs · head to head

Astra vs Hasura

Astra logo

Astra

APIs

Instant payments API for push-to-card, card-to-account and FedNow transfers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hasura logo

Hasura

APIs

GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Hasura has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Astra push-to-card costs materially more per transaction than ACH, so a platform that switches all payouts to instant sees payment costs rise sharply, and the usual answer of charging the recipient for speed only works where recipients will pay.; Hasura active model definition: model/command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly
  • They diverge on capability: Astra covers Instant disbursements, Hasura covers GraphQL API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Astra and Hasura actually diverge.

Attributes where Astra and Hasura differ
AttributeAstraHasura
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAPI, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 Astra

  • Instant disbursements
  • Card to account
  • Net debit mode
  • FedNow and RTP transfers
  • ACH transfers
  • Routing logic
  • SDK
  • Sandbox

Only in Hasura

  • GraphQL API
  • Real-time subscriptions
  • Access control
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Webhooks
  • REST APIs
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Astra

  • A gig or marketplace platform paying workers to their debit cards at the end of a shift rather than on a weekly ACH cyclenot Hasura
  • An insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque processnot Hasura
  • A lending product disbursing approved funds in seconds so the borrower experience matches the approval decisionnot Hasura
  • A consumer fintech letting users fund a new account from an existing debit card so the balance is usable immediatelynot Hasura

Hasura

  • Automatic GraphQL API generation from existing databasesnot Astra
  • Real-time data subscriptions for modern applicationsnot Astra
  • Backend infrastructure for web and mobile applicationsnot Astra
  • Event-triggered webhooks for database changesnot Astra

Where each one falls short

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

Astra

  • Push-to-card costs materially more per transaction than ACH, so a platform that switches all payouts to instant sees payment costs rise sharply, and the usual answer of charging the recipient for speed only works where recipients will pay.
  • Original Credit Transaction support is not universal across card issuers, so a proportion of payouts fall back to slower rails and you must build and explain a two speed experience rather than promising instant to everyone.
  • The programme depends on Cross River Bank as sponsor, a bank with concentrated fintech exposure and a documented regulatory history, so a single supervisory action on that institution is a direct operational risk to your payouts.
  • Nothing is published on pricing, and per transaction economics vary by rail and volume, so small platforms cannot estimate cost before a sales conversation and have limited leverage in it.
  • FedNow reach still depends on the recipient bank participating, so instant account-to-account is not available to every recipient and the routing logic has to degrade gracefully, which is more integration work than the single API framing suggests.

Hasura

  • Active model definition: model/command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly
  • Private DDN requires Base or Advanced plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Astra

On request
  • Astra Payments$undefined/year
    • Per transaction pricing quoted by volume and rail
    • Push-to-card economics differ materially from ACH
    • Net debit mode available in place of prefunding

Hasura

Free
  • DDN FreeFree
    • Unlimited models
    • 1 supergraph developer
    • 15-minute observability retention
  • DDN Base$5/month
    • Per active model billing
    • Unlimited developers
    • 30-day observability retention
  • DDN Advanced$30/month
    • Per active model billing
    • Federated collaboration
    • Multi-repo CI/CD

Which should you pick?

Choose Astra if

  • You need instant disbursements.
  • You work on API, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want card to account.
Astra review

Choose Hasura if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time subscriptions.
Hasura review

Questions people ask

Is Astra or Hasura better?
Neither clearly leads. Astra starts at On request and Hasura at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Astra or Hasura?
Hasura has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Astra and Free for Hasura.
Does Astra or Hasura run on more platforms?
Astra runs on API, Web, iOS, Android. Hasura runs on Web.
Can I use Hasura for free?
Yes. Hasura has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Astra starts at On request.
What is Astra best used for?
Astra is most often used for a gig or marketplace platform paying workers to their debit cards at the end of a shift rather than on a weekly ach cycle, an insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque process, a lending product disbursing approved funds in seconds so the borrower experience matches the approval decision, a consumer fintech letting users fund a new account from an existing debit card so the balance is usable immediately. Of those, a gig or marketplace platform paying workers to their debit cards at the end of a shift rather than on a weekly ach cycle and an insurer settling small claims instantly to a claimant debit card to remove the cheque process are not what Hasura is typically brought in for.
What can Astra do that Hasura cannot?
Astra covers Instant disbursements, Card to account, Net debit mode, FedNow and RTP transfers. Hasura covers GraphQL API, Real-time subscriptions, Access control, PostgreSQL.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Astra: Who is the sponsor bank?

Cross River Bank. All banking and payment services run through that relationship, so the bank should be part of your diligence rather than an implementation detail.

Hasura: How much does Hasura cost?

Hasura DDN Free is free. DDN Base starts at $5/active model/month, and DDN Advanced starts at $30/active model/month.

Source
Astra: Do I have to prefund payouts?

Not necessarily. Astra offers a net debit arrangement where disbursements settle against a reserve rather than a permanently funded float account, which is the main working capital argument for the product.

Hasura: What is an active model in Hasura pricing?

An active model is defined as any model or command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly.

Source
Astra: Is every payout instant?

No. Push-to-card requires the recipient card issuer to support Original Credit Transactions, and FedNow requires the recipient bank to participate. The rest fall back to ACH.

Hasura: Is there a free version of Hasura?

Yes, Hasura DDN Free is always free and includes unlimited models, 1 supergraph developer, and 15-minute observability retention.

Source
Astra: What does it cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is per transaction and varies by rail and volume, and card rails cost considerably more than ACH.

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