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APIs · head to head

GraphQL Playground vs Vodeno

GraphQL Playground logo

GraphQL Playground

APIs

GraphQL IDE and documentation tool for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vodeno logo

Vodeno

APIs

Banking-as-a-service platform running on a partner bank licence, backing NatWest's UK BaaS venture

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; Vodeno its actual regulatory backing differs by geography, Aion Bank in continental Europe versus NatWest in the UK, so a customer must understand which entity and licence they are actually contracting under rather than assuming one uniform Vodeno product.
  • They diverge on capability: GraphQL Playground covers Query building, Vodeno covers Core banking infrastructure.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GraphQL Playground and Vodeno differ
AttributeGraphQL PlaygroundVodeno
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 Vodeno

  • Core banking infrastructure
  • Card issuance via Mastercard
  • Lending and BNPL modules
  • White-label mobile apps
  • Digital onboarding and compliance
  • UK entity backed by NatWest

What people use each for

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

GraphQL Playground

  • API Developmentnot Vodeno
  • API Gatewaynot Vodeno
  • API Testingnot Vodeno
  • API Documentationnot Vodeno
  • Microservicesnot Vodeno

Vodeno

  • A European retailer or e-commerce business wanting to embed savings, lending or BNPL products under its own brandnot GraphQL Playground
  • A UK business wanting banking-as-a-service backed specifically by NatWest's banking technology and licencenot GraphQL Playground
  • A fintech wanting white-label mobile banking app infrastructure rather than building its own from scratchnot GraphQL Playground
  • A company comparing banking-as-a-service providers that want to understand which underlying bank licence actually backs the product in their marketnot 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

Vodeno

  • Its actual regulatory backing differs by geography, Aion Bank in continental Europe versus NatWest in the UK, so a customer must understand which entity and licence they are actually contracting under rather than assuming one uniform Vodeno product.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished across both the European and UK businesses.
  • The scale of NatWest's investment (up to roughly £120 million) signals a business still working toward profitability, with NatWest itself targeting breakeven within five years of the venture launching, which is a meaningful timeline risk for a customer building long-term infrastructure dependency on it.
  • As banking-as-a-service infrastructure, any customer remains dependent on Vodeno's underlying bank partner maintaining its own licence and risk appetite, which is a layer of dependency beyond Vodeno's own commercial terms.
  • Product scope, such as lending and BNPL availability, may differ between the UK and European entities, so a company operating in both markets should not assume identical capability across the two.

Pricing, plan by plan

GraphQL Playground

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full GraphQL IDE
    • Community support

Vodeno

On request
  • Vodeno$undefined/year
    • Platform licensing fee, not published
    • Terms differ between the European (Aion Bank) and UK (NatWest) entities

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 Vodeno if

  • You need core banking infrastructure.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want card issuance via mastercard.
Vodeno review

Questions people ask

Is GraphQL Playground or Vodeno better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphQL Playground starts at Free and Vodeno at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphQL Playground or Vodeno?
GraphQL Playground has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GraphQL Playground and On request for Vodeno.
Does GraphQL Playground or Vodeno run on more platforms?
GraphQL Playground runs on Web, Electron, Self-hosted. Vodeno 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. Vodeno 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 Vodeno is typically brought in for.
What can GraphQL Playground do that Vodeno cannot?
GraphQL Playground covers Query building, Schema introspection, Real-time testing, GraphQL servers. Vodeno covers Core banking infrastructure, Card issuance via Mastercard, Lending and BNPL modules, White-label mobile apps.

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
Vodeno: Does Vodeno hold its own banking licence?

No, it operates through partner banks, Aion Bank in continental Europe and NatWest in the UK.

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
Vodeno: Is the UK business the same as the European business?

They are related but distinct entities backed by different bank partners, with different investment structures.

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
Vodeno: How much has NatWest invested?

A capped commitment of up to roughly £120 million into the UK entity, plus a separate roughly €58 million investment in Vodeno Group for an 18% stake.

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