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Databases · head to head

Dgraph vs Vite

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
Vite logo

Vite

Developer Tools

Next generation frontend tooling

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ViteFull review

The short version

  • Vite is a next generation frontend build tool.
  • Vite is free; Dgraph starts at $39/mo.
  • Where Vite falls short: does not support Node.js built-in polyfills, requiring manual configuration for CommonJS libraries.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dgraph and Vite actually diverge.

Attributes where Dgraph and Vite differ
AttributeDgraphVite
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Self-hosted, WebAPI
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools
Founded20162020

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

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Vite.

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 Vite

Nothing recorded that Dgraph does not also cover.

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 Vite
  • A knowledge graph that outgrew a single machine and needs storage distributed across nodes without a per-core licence negotiationnot Vite
  • Recommendation or fraud-detection features that traverse several hops at request time, where a relational join chain has become the bottlenecknot Vite
  • Teams that want a graph database they can read, fork and self-host under a permissive licence rather than a source-available onenot Vite

Vite

  • Developers speeding up hot module replacement during React developmentnot Dgraph
  • Vue.js teams reducing rebuild times in large monorepo codebasesnot Dgraph
  • Teams building with TypeScript without additional tooling configurationnot Dgraph
  • Open-source contributors testing code changes in sub-second feedbacknot 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

Vite

  • Does not support Node.js built-in polyfills, requiring manual configuration for CommonJS libraries
  • File watching fails on Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 in certain conditions
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to webpack
  • Ampersands in Windows project paths cause module resolution failures

Pricing, plan by plan

Dgraph

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

Vite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Vite review.

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 Vite if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on API.
Vite review

Questions people ask

Is Dgraph or Vite better?
Neither clearly leads. Dgraph starts at Free and Vite at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dgraph or Vite?
Dgraph starts at Free and Vite at Free.
Does Dgraph or Vite run on more platforms?
Dgraph runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Web. Vite runs on API.
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 Vite is typically brought in for.
What can Dgraph do that Vite cannot?
Dgraph covers Apache 2.0 licence, Generated GraphQL API, DQL query language, Predicate sharding.

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.

Vite: Does Vite support CommonJS dependencies?

Vite automatically converts CommonJS dependencies to ES modules during pre-bundling using esbuild, but it does not support Node.js built-in polyfills. For projects requiring Node builtins, additional configuration may be needed.

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.

Vite: Can Vite work offline?

Vite requires internet for initial dependency pre-bundling with esbuild. Once dependencies are pre-bundled and cached, development can continue with local file serving, but full offline development is not supported.

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.

Vite: What are Vite's system requirements on Windows?

Vite can run on Windows, but WSL2 users may experience file watching issues where Vite cannot detect file changes in certain conditions. Windows users with project paths containing ampersands may encounter module resolution failures with npm.

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.

Vite: Does Vite support TypeScript, JSX, and CSS out of the box?

Yes. Vite natively supports TypeScript, JSX, CSS, and WebAssembly without additional configuration needed for basic use.

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.

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