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API Management · head to head

GraphQL Apollo vs Sanity

GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

API Management

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sanity logo

Sanity

API Management

Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content 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; Sanity free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Sanity covers Content API.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GraphQL Apollo and Sanity differ
AttributeGraphQL ApolloSanity
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsJavaScript, Node.js, Web, MobileWeb
Founded20162011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).

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 Sanity

  • Content API
  • Collaborative editing
  • Structured content
  • Webhooks
  • Third-party services
  • GROQ query language
  • Cloud support
  • JavaScript SDK support

What people use each for

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • API Developmentnot Sanity
  • API Gatewaynot Sanity
  • API Testingnot Sanity
  • API Documentationnot Sanity
  • Microservicesnot Sanity

Sanity

  • Headless CMS for structured content managementnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer supportnot GraphQL Apollo
  • API-driven content delivery with GROQ query languagenot 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

Sanity

  • Free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • Free plan supports only public datasets
  • Growth plan capped at 50 seats maximum
  • Private datasets, scheduled drafts, and comments/tasks require paid plans
  • Annual billing unavailable for Growth plan; Enterprise-only

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

Sanity

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sanity review.

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 Sanity if

  • You need content api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want collaborative editing.
Sanity review

Questions people ask

Is GraphQL Apollo or Sanity better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Sanity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphQL Apollo or Sanity?
GraphQL Apollo starts at Free and Sanity at Free.
Does GraphQL Apollo or Sanity run on more platforms?
GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile. Sanity runs on Web.
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 Sanity is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Apollo do that Sanity cannot?
GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Sanity covers Content API, Collaborative editing, Structured content, Webhooks.
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