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APIs · head to head

GraphQL Apollo vs Increase

GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

APIs

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Increase logo

Increase

APIs

Direct banking API for ACH, wires, real-time payments, accounts and cards

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GraphQL Apollo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing; Increase the published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Increase covers ACH origination and receipt.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GraphQL Apollo and Increase differ
AttributeGraphQL ApolloIncrease
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsJavaScript, Node.js, Web, MobileAPI, Web
Founded2016Unknown

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 GraphQL Apollo

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

Only in Increase

  • ACH origination and receipt
  • Domestic wires
  • Real-time payments
  • Bank accounts
  • Cards
  • Cheques
  • Sandbox and simulations
  • Audit and reconciliation data

What people use each for

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • GraphQL API managementnot Increase
  • Schema federationnot Increase
  • API analytics and monitoringnot Increase
  • Developer-focused infrastructurenot Increase

Increase

  • A payroll or treasury product that needs to originate same-day ACH and wires under its own control rather than through a payment processornot GraphQL Apollo
  • A marketplace that must hold seller balances in ledgered accounts with real account and routing numbersnot GraphQL Apollo
  • A fintech that wants FedNow and RTP payouts so recipients are paid outside banking hoursnot GraphQL Apollo
  • An engineering team that needs the underlying return codes and settlement timing visible in order to build correct reconciliation and retry logicnot 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 plans require sales contact for custom pricing
  • Free plan limited to 3 developers and 1-day retention
  • Self-hosted router on free tier heavily rate-limited to 60 requests/minute

Increase

  • The published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • Free allowances are deliberately small at ten account numbers and five physical cards, so any programme issuing accounts or cards at volume moves to quoted pricing almost immediately.
  • Banking is provided through partner banks, so programme approval, compliance obligations and the ability to launch at all depend on a bank relationship you do not control, and post-Synapse bank risk appetite has tightened considerably.
  • The API deliberately exposes payment rail mechanics rather than smoothing them, which is correct engineering but means a team without payments expertise will build reconciliation and return handling wrongly and only discover it when funds go astray.
  • Coverage is United States only, so a company with international payout needs runs a second provider and reconciles two ledgers, and the single API argument disappears at the first cross border customer.

Pricing, plan by plan

GraphQL Apollo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 developers
    • 1-day data retention
    • Community support only
  • Developer$5/per million requests
    • $50 usage credit for new signups
    • Up to 10 developers
    • 7-day data retention
  • Standard$null/custom
    • Up to 30 developers
    • 90-day data retention
    • Standard support with SLA (8x5)
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Unlimited developers
    • 18-month data retention
    • Business support 24x7x365 with SLA

Increase

On request
  • Increase Platform$undefined/month
    • Monthly fee quoted by use case and not published
    • Next-day ACH origination listed at 0.50 US dollars per transaction
    • Same-day ACH origination listed at 2.00 per transaction

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 Increase if

  • You need ach origination and receipt.
  • You work on API, Web.
  • You also want domestic wires.
Increase review

Questions people ask

Is GraphQL Apollo or Increase better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Increase at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphQL Apollo or Increase?
GraphQL Apollo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GraphQL Apollo and On request for Increase.
Does GraphQL Apollo or Increase run on more platforms?
GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Increase runs on API, Web.
Can I use GraphQL Apollo for free?
Yes. GraphQL Apollo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Increase starts at On request.
What is GraphQL Apollo best used for?
GraphQL Apollo is most often used for graphql api management, schema federation, api analytics and monitoring, developer-focused infrastructure. Of those, graphql api management and schema federation are not what Increase is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Apollo do that Increase cannot?
GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Increase covers ACH origination and receipt, Domestic wires, Real-time payments, Bank accounts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GraphQL Apollo: How much does Apollo GraphQL cost?

Apollo GraphQL is free for up to 3 developers. Paid plans start at $5 per million GraphQL requests on the Developer plan, which includes $50 usage credit for new signups. Standard and Enterprise plans require custom pricing via sales contact.

Source
Increase: Does Increase publish its pricing?

Partly. Per transaction fees for ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow and cards are listed publicly. The monthly platform fee is not, and it is described only as varying by use case.

GraphQL Apollo: Is there a free version of Apollo GraphQL?

Yes, Apollo GraphQL offers a forever-free plan with no credit card required for up to 3 developers, including 1-day data retention, community support, and self-hosted GraphOS Router rate-limited to 60 requests per minute.

Source
Increase: Who holds the deposits?

Partner banks, not Increase itself. That relationship determines your programme approval, your compliance obligations and your risk if the bank changes appetite.

GraphQL Apollo: What does Apollo's Enterprise plan include that Standard does not?

The Enterprise plan offers unlimited developers versus 30 on Standard, 18-month data retention versus 90 days, and 24x7x365 business support with SLA instead of 8x5 support. It also includes premium and professional services add-ons and custom MSA agreements. Both require custom pricing.

Source
Increase: Is it international?

No. Increase covers United States rails only, so cross border payouts require a second provider.

Increase: How is it different from a middleware BaaS platform?

It exposes the rails rather than abstracting them, showing real return codes and settlement timing. That suits teams who understand payments and punishes teams who do not.

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