APIs · head to head
GraphQL Apollo vs Prisma
The short version
- Each has a real cost: GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing; Prisma prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage
- They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Prisma covers ORM.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which GraphQL Apollo and Prisma actually diverge.
| Attribute | GraphQL Apollo | Prisma |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Platforms | JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile | Node.js, TypeScript |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs), founded (2016).
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
- Microservices
- Databases
- JavaScript support
- Web support
- Mobile support
Only in Prisma
- ORM
- Query builder
- Auto-migrations
- Node.js
- TypeScript
- GraphQL
- TypeScript support
Both cover
- REST APIs
- Node.js support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
GraphQL Apollo
- GraphQL API managementnot Prisma
- Schema federationnot Prisma
- API analytics and monitoringnot Prisma
- Developer-focused infrastructurenot Prisma
Prisma
- Using a type safe ORM and query layer against a Postgres databasenot GraphQL Apollo
- Adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing databasenot 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
Prisma
- Prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage
- Starter at $10 a month includes 1M operations then charges $0.0080 per 1,000
- Storage overage runs from $2.00 per GB on Starter down to $1.00 per GB on Business, so the unit cost depends on the plan
- Accelerate charges separately per operation and per GiB of query egress beyond the first 1 KiB
- Cache tag invalidations are not included below the Pro plan and are billed per thousand above it
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
Prisma
Free- FreeFree
- 1M requests/month
- 360 GB-hours memory
- 4 vCPU-hours
- Starter$10/month
- 5M requests/month
- 1M database operations ($8 per million overage)
- 10 GB storage ($2/GB overage)
- Pro$49/month
- 20M requests/month
- 10M operations ($2 per million overage)
- 50 GB storage ($1.50/GB overage)
- Business$129/month
- 100M requests/month
- 50M operations ($1 per million overage)
- 100 GB storage
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.
Choose Prisma if
- You need orm.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Node.js, TypeScript.
- You also want query builder.
Questions people ask
- Is GraphQL Apollo or Prisma better?
- Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Prisma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, GraphQL Apollo or Prisma?
- GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Prisma at Free.
- Does GraphQL Apollo or Prisma run on more platforms?
- GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Prisma runs on Node.js, TypeScript.
- 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 graphql api management, schema federation, api analytics and monitoring, developer-focused infrastructure. Of those, graphql api management and schema federation are not what Prisma is typically brought in for.
- What can GraphQL Apollo do that Prisma cannot?
- GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, Microservices. Prisma covers ORM, Query builder, Auto-migrations, Node.js. Both handle REST APIs, Node.js support.
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.
SourcePrisma: How much does Prisma cost?
Prisma is free to start with 1M requests/month. The Starter plan costs $10/month with 5M requests, the Pro plan $49/month with 20M requests, and the Business plan $129/month with 100M requests. All plans have usage-based overages.
SourceGraphQL 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.
SourcePrisma: What is Prisma's overage pricing?
Prisma charges $1 per million requests over the included amount (Starter), $2 per million database operations overage (Pro and Starter), and $1.50-$2 per GB for storage overages depending on the plan. All plans include a hard spend limit on by default.
SourceGraphQL 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.
SourcePrisma: Does Prisma include data transfer costs?
No, Prisma includes unlimited data transfer with no egress fees on all plans. Prisma ORM remains free across all tiers.
SourceRelated pages
More on GraphQL Apollo
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