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APIs · head to head

GraphQL Playground vs Tuum

GraphQL Playground logo

GraphQL Playground

APIs

GraphQL IDE and documentation tool for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tuum logo

Tuum

APIs

Modular core banking platform from Estonia, formerly branded Modularbank

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GraphQL Playground has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GraphQL Playground apollo's own documentation states GraphQL Playground is officially retired and no longer recommended, directing users to Apollo Sandbox instead; Tuum it is a smaller, younger company than Mambu, so it has fewer live reference deployments and a shorter track record to evaluate risk against.
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Playground covers Query building, Tuum covers Modular product structure.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GraphQL Playground and Tuum actually diverge.

Attributes where GraphQL Playground and Tuum differ
AttributeGraphQL PlaygroundTuum
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Electron, Self-hostedWeb, API
Founded2018Unknown

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 Playground

  • Query building
  • Schema introspection
  • Real-time testing
  • GraphQL servers
  • Apollo Studio
  • Custom servers
  • Web support
  • Electron support

Only in Tuum

  • Modular product structure
  • Low-code integration middleware
  • Cloud-agnostic deployment
  • Multi-currency real-time accounts
  • Cards and lending modules
  • Faster migration timeline

What people use each for

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

GraphQL Playground

  • API Developmentnot Tuum
  • API Gatewaynot Tuum
  • API Testingnot Tuum
  • API Documentationnot Tuum
  • Microservicesnot Tuum

Tuum

  • A bank wanting to migrate specific banking products to the cloud within months rather than replacing its entire core at oncenot GraphQL Playground
  • A fintech in the DACH region or Middle East wanting a European core banking vendor with regional expansion focusnot GraphQL Playground
  • An institution wanting low-code middleware to connect new modules to an existing legacy core rather than a full rebuildnot GraphQL Playground
  • A company researching "Modularbank" that needs to confirm it is the same company now branded Tuumnot GraphQL Playground

Where each one falls short

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

GraphQL Playground

  • Apollo's own documentation states GraphQL Playground is officially retired and no longer recommended, directing users to Apollo Sandbox instead

Tuum

  • It is a smaller, younger company than Mambu, so it has fewer live reference deployments and a shorter track record to evaluate risk against.
  • The 2022-era rebrand from Modularbank to Tuum means older funding records, case studies and press coverage appear under a different name, complicating due diligence for anyone unaware of the change.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished, requiring a sales conversation to budget against competing composable core vendors.
  • Its geographic expansion into DACH and the Middle East is comparatively recent, so support depth and local regulatory expertise in those markets are less proven than in its home Baltic and Nordic base.
  • As with any core banking platform, choosing Tuum is a multi-year infrastructure commitment; switching cores after implementation is a major undertaking regardless of how modular the initial adoption was.

Pricing, plan by plan

GraphQL Playground

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full GraphQL IDE
    • Community support

Tuum

On request
  • Tuum$undefined/year
    • Subscription and module-based pricing, not published
    • Custom quote required via sales

Which should you pick?

Choose GraphQL Playground if

  • You need query building.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Electron, Self-hosted.
  • You also want schema introspection.
GraphQL Playground review

Choose Tuum if

  • You need modular product structure.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want low-code integration middleware.
Tuum review

Questions people ask

Is GraphQL Playground or Tuum better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Playground starts at Free and Tuum at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphQL Playground or Tuum?
GraphQL Playground has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GraphQL Playground and On request for Tuum.
Does GraphQL Playground or Tuum run on more platforms?
GraphQL Playground runs on Web, Electron, Self-hosted. Tuum runs on Web, API.
Can I use GraphQL Playground for free?
Yes. GraphQL Playground has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tuum starts at On request.
What is GraphQL Playground best used for?
GraphQL Playground is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Tuum is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Playground do that Tuum cannot?
GraphQL Playground covers Query building, Schema introspection, Real-time testing, GraphQL servers. Tuum covers Modular product structure, Low-code integration middleware, Cloud-agnostic deployment, Multi-currency real-time accounts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GraphQL Playground: Is GraphQL Playground free to use?

GraphQL Playground is a testing tool for Apollo Server and is free to use as part of the Apollo Server documentation. However, the broader Apollo GraphQL platform has various paid tiers available for production use.

Source
Tuum: Is Tuum the same company as Modularbank?

Yes, Modularbank rebranded to Tuum; it is the same company and platform.

GraphQL Playground: Is GraphQL Playground part of a paid product?

GraphQL Playground is a testing tool within the Apollo ecosystem. While Playground itself is free, Apollo offers paid tiers starting at $5 per million requests for the Developer tier, with Standard and Enterprise plans available at custom pricing.

Source
Tuum: Where is it strongest geographically?

Its base is Estonia and the Nordic and Baltic region, with newer expansion into DACH and the Middle East.

GraphQL Playground: What is the cost structure for Apollo GraphQL's paid plans?

Apollo uses volume-based tiered pricing for requests: first 250M operations cost $5.00 per million plus $2.00 for performance add-on; next 750M operations are $4.25 per million plus $1.50 add-on; additional tiers scale down to $3.00 per million plus $0.50 add-on for operations over 5 billion.

Source
Tuum: Is pricing published?

No, subscription and module pricing require a sales conversation.

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