APIs · head to head
GraphQL Apollo vs Render
The short version
- Each has a real cost: GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing; Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
- They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Render covers Web services.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which GraphQL Apollo and Render actually diverge.
| Attribute | GraphQL Apollo | Render |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Platforms | JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile | Web, Api |
| Category | APIs | Cloud |
| Founded | 2016 | 2019 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Render
- Web services
- Static sites
- Background workers
- Postgres database
- Redis database
- Scheduled jobs
- Environment variables
- Custom domains
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
GraphQL Apollo
- GraphQL API managementnot Render
- Schema federationnot Render
- API analytics and monitoringnot Render
- Developer-focused infrastructurenot Render
Render
- Deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a Git repository without managing serversnot GraphQL Apollo
- Running managed Postgres and Redis alongside application servicesnot GraphQL Apollo
- Preview environments per pull request for small teamsnot 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
Render
- The free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
- Every paid plan charges the workspace fee plus compute on top, so $25 per month for Pro is a floor rather than a total
- SAML SSO and SCIM require the Scale plan at $499 per month
- HIPAA-compliant workspaces, inbound IP rules and advanced RBAC roles are Scale plan features
- Organization-level audit logs require Scale; Pro provides only workspace audit logs
- Contractual uptime SLAs, support response SLAs and a technical account manager are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
- Included bandwidth is 25 GB on Pro and 1 TB on Scale, with usage beyond that billed separately
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
Render
Free- FreeFree
- 1 web service
- 1 static site
- Shared CPU
- Starter$7/month
- Unlimited services
- Dedicated CPU
- 2GB RAM
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 Render if
- You need web services.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want static sites.
Questions people ask
- Is GraphQL Apollo or Render better?
- Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Render at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, GraphQL Apollo or Render?
- GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Render at Free.
- Does GraphQL Apollo or Render run on more platforms?
- GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Render runs on Web, Api.
- 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 Render is typically brought in for.
- What can GraphQL Apollo do that Render cannot?
- GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Postgres database. Both handle Web 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.
SourceRender: What is Render's pricing?
Render's pricing details are not disclosed on the public pricing page. The site references workspace plans, compute services, and features but does not display specific costs. Users must visit the pricing page directly or contact Render for detailed information.
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.
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.
SourceRelated pages
More on GraphQL Apollo
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- Render vs Hasura
- Render vs Appwrite
- Render vs PocketBase
- Render vs Sanity
- Render vs Strapi
- Render vs GraphQL Playground
- Render vs Kong Gateway
- Render vs Parse Server
- Render vs WSO2 API Manager
- Render vs Janus Gateway
- Render vs Directus
- Render vs KeystoneJS
- Render vs Solaris
- Render vs Stainless
- Render vs Swagger/OpenAPI
- Render vs Thredd
- Render vs Thunder Client
- Render vs Porter
- Render vs Coolify
- Render vs CapRover
- Render vs Qovery
- Render vs DigitalOcean
- Render vs Neon
- Render vs Dokku
- Render vs Koyeb
- Render vs AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Render vs Grafana Cloud
- Render vs Railway
- Render vs Fly.io
- Render vs Vagrant
- Render vs VictoriaMetrics
- Render vs Vultr
- Render vs Akamai
- Render vs Alibaba Cloud
- Render vs Buildah