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GraphQL Apollo vs Gravitee

GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

Software

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gravitee logo

Gravitee

Software

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise tiers publish no figures and require contacting sales through a Talk to Sales link, while paid usage is metered at $5 per million requests rather than by seat; Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Gravitee covers API Gateway.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GraphQL Apollo and Gravitee differ
AttributeGraphQL ApolloGravitee
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsJavaScript, Node.js, Web, MobileCloud, On-premise, Kubernetes
Founded20162015

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 GraphQL Apollo

  • Apollo Server
  • Apollo Client
  • GraphQL Federation
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • Databases
  • JavaScript support
  • Node.js support

Only in Gravitee

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • Analytics Dashboard
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Kafka
  • LDAP
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • API Developmentnot Gravitee
  • API Gatewaynot Gravitee
  • API Testingnot Gravitee
  • API Documentationnot Gravitee
  • Microservicesnot Gravitee

Gravitee

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Exposing Kafka event streams as managed APIsnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Protocol mediation between event brokers and clientsnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Self-hosting an open source API gatewaynot GraphQL Apollo
  • Access control and authentication in front of internal APIsnot GraphQL Apollo

Where each one falls short

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • Standard and Enterprise tiers publish no figures and require contacting sales through a Talk to Sales link, while paid usage is metered at $5 per million requests rather than by seat
  • Developer plan caps at 10 users and Standard caps at 30 users before requiring the sales-gated Enterprise tier

Gravitee

  • The entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • Event management is priced separately, starting at $1,250 a month for the Comet tier
  • Tiers are gated on gateway and broker counts, so scaling horizontally means moving tier rather than paying incrementally
  • Data logging masking and other enterprise features are withheld from the lowest paid tier
  • 24/7 support requires the top Universe tier

Pricing, plan by plan

GraphQL Apollo

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Apollo Server
    • Apollo Client
    • Community support
  • Studio Starter$49/monthly
    • Apollo Studio
    • GraphQL monitoring
    • Collaboration
  • Studio Professional$399/monthly
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority support
    • SLA

Gravitee

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • API Gateway
    • Basic analytics
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$1500/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • SLA support
    • SSO integration
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose GraphQL Apollo if

  • You need apollo server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want apollo client.
GraphQL Apollo review

Choose Gravitee if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
  • You also want developer portal.
Gravitee review

Questions people ask

Is GraphQL Apollo or Gravitee better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Gravitee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphQL Apollo or Gravitee?
GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Gravitee at Free.
Does GraphQL Apollo or Gravitee run on more platforms?
GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
Can I use GraphQL Apollo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GraphQL Apollo best used for?
GraphQL Apollo is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Gravitee is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Apollo do that Gravitee cannot?
GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes.
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