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Databases · head to head

Dgraph vs Pieces for Developers

Dgraph logo

Dgraph

Databases

Apache 2.0 distributed graph database written in Go, maintained by Hypermode, queried through GraphQL or its own DQL language.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DgraphFull review
Pieces for Developers logo

Pieces for Developers

Developer Tools

AI-powered memory layer that captures and organizes developer work

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Pieces for DevelopersFull review

The short version

  • Free plans on both; paid from $39/mo and $18.99/mo.
  • Only Dgraph lists apache 2.0 licence; only Pieces for Developers lists activity Timeline.
  • Where Pieces for Developers falls short: requires installing and running a background desktop app rather than being purely cloud-based.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dgraph and Pieces for Developers actually diverge.

Attributes where Dgraph and Pieces for Developers differ
AttributeDgraphPieces for Developers
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Self-hosted, WebWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools
Founded20162018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Freemium), free tier (Yes).

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 Dgraph

  • Apache 2.0 licence
  • Generated GraphQL API
  • DQL query language
  • Predicate sharding
  • Raft replication
  • Distributed ACID transactions
  • Written in Go
  • Full-text and geo indexing

Only in Pieces for Developers

  • Activity Timeline
  • Conversational Search
  • Artifact Generation
  • Cross-tool Integration
  • MCP Server
  • On-device Storage

What people use each for

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

Dgraph

  • An application whose core data is a graph, such as permissions, social connections or product relationships, where the frontend already consumes GraphQLnot Pieces for Developers
  • A knowledge graph that outgrew a single machine and needs storage distributed across nodes without a per-core licence negotiationnot Pieces for Developers
  • Recommendation or fraud-detection features that traverse several hops at request time, where a relational join chain has become the bottlenecknot Pieces for Developers
  • Teams that want a graph database they can read, fork and self-host under a permissive licence rather than a source-available onenot Pieces for Developers

Pieces for Developers

  • Recalling code snippets and context from earlier work sessionsnot Dgraph
  • Generating standup updates automatically from captured activitynot Dgraph
  • Feeding long-term memory into AI coding assistants via MCPnot Dgraph
  • Searching past research and meeting notes conversationallynot Dgraph

Where each one falls short

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

Dgraph

  • Sharding is by predicate, so a single very hot predicate lives entirely in one Raft group and cannot be split further; adding nodes does not relieve it and the fix is a data model change
  • Stewardship passed from Dgraph Labs to Hypermode after the original company stopped operating independently, so anyone building on it is betting on a second custodian rather than on the original team's roadmap
  • The GraphQL layer is generated and opinionated, so anything it does not express drops you into DQL, which is a second language your team must learn and which no other database speaks
  • The community is a fraction of Neo4j's, so operational answers, tuning experience, hiring and third-party tooling are all thinner, and unusual failure modes in a Zero and Alpha cluster leave you reading source rather than a forum
  • There is no portable graph standard to migrate to; Cypher, Gremlin and SPARQL are all different query models, so the schema and every query is a rewrite if you later leave, and that cost grows with the application

Pieces for Developers

  • Requires installing and running a background desktop app rather than being purely cloud-based
  • Free tier trial of Pro features requires a credit card and reverts after 7 days
  • Local-first storage means memory is not automatically synced across multiple machines without Enterprise controls
  • Effectiveness depends on the breadth of integrations enabled, which adds setup overhead

Pricing, plan by plan

Dgraph

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Native GraphQL
    • Graph queries
    • Full-text search
  • Cloud$39/mo
    • Managed service
    • Auto-scaling
    • Enterprise support

Pieces for Developers

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic capture and search
    • 7-day trial of Pro features
  • Pro$18.99/mo
    • Long-term on-device memory
    • Cross-app capture
    • Single-click summaries and recaps
  • Enterprise$22.99/mo
    • All Pro features
    • Organization-wide capture and feature controls
    • Approved AI providers and custom API keys

Which should you pick?

Choose Dgraph if

  • You need apache 2.0 licence.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Web.
  • You also want generated graphql api.
Dgraph review

Choose Pieces for Developers if

  • You need activity timeline.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want conversational search.
Pieces for Developers review

Questions people ask

Is Dgraph or Pieces for Developers better?
Neither clearly leads. Dgraph starts at Free and Pieces for Developers at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dgraph or Pieces for Developers?
Dgraph starts at Free and Pieces for Developers at Free.
Does Dgraph or Pieces for Developers run on more platforms?
Dgraph runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Web. Pieces for Developers runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Dgraph for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dgraph best used for?
Dgraph is most often used for an application whose core data is a graph, such as permissions, social connections or product relationships, where the frontend already consumes graphql, a knowledge graph that outgrew a single machine and needs storage distributed across nodes without a per-core licence negotiation, recommendation or fraud-detection features that traverse several hops at request time, where a relational join chain has become the bottleneck, teams that want a graph database they can read, fork and self-host under a permissive licence rather than a source-available one. Of those, an application whose core data is a graph, such as permissions, social connections or product relationships, where the frontend already consumes graphql and a knowledge graph that outgrew a single machine and needs storage distributed across nodes without a per-core licence negotiation are not what Pieces for Developers is typically brought in for.
What can Dgraph do that Pieces for Developers cannot?
Dgraph covers Apache 2.0 licence, Generated GraphQL API, DQL query language, Predicate sharding. Pieces for Developers covers Activity Timeline, Conversational Search, Artifact Generation, Cross-tool Integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dgraph: Is Dgraph open source?

Yes. The current repository is Apache 2.0, which is a permissive OSI licence, and the project is at v25 under Hypermode's maintenance.

Pieces for Developers: Does Pieces store my data in the cloud?

Pieces stores captured data on-device by default, giving users granular controls to pause, disable or delete captures rather than relying solely on cloud storage.

Source
Dgraph: Is it really GraphQL?

It serves a generated GraphQL API, which is real GraphQL for clients. Its native language, DQL, resembles GraphQL syntactically but is Dgraph's own language and is not the GraphQL specification.

Pieces for Developers: Is there a free plan for Pieces?

Pieces does not offer a permanently free plan; new users instead get a 7-day free trial on any plan, which requires a credit card to start.

Source
Dgraph: How does it compare to Neo4j?

Neo4j has the larger ecosystem, Cypher, and far more operational precedent. Dgraph distributes storage across nodes by default and gives you a GraphQL endpoint without writing resolvers. The choice usually turns on whether you need horizontal scale and a GraphQL surface more than you need ecosystem depth.

Pieces for Developers: What does the Pro plan cost?

Pro is $18.99 per month billed monthly, with roughly a 25% discount available when billed yearly.

Source
Dgraph: What does a production cluster look like?

At minimum a set of Zero nodes for coordination and a replicated set of Alpha nodes for data, typically three of each for fault tolerance, which is a meaningfully larger operational footprint than a single graph server.

Pieces for Developers: What does the Enterprise plan add?

Enterprise costs $22.99 per month (or $69.99 per quarter) and adds organization-wide admin controls, approved AI providers, and governance over captured data.

Source
Dgraph: Who maintains it now?

Hypermode. Dgraph Labs, the original company, no longer operates it, and that change of custodian is the main non-technical risk to weigh.

Pieces for Developers: Can I cancel my Pieces subscription?

Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime from account settings, and all plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Source
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