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Gravitee vs GraphQL Apollo

Gravitee logo

Gravitee

Software

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

Software

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Gravitee covers API Gateway, GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Gravitee and GraphQL Apollo differ
AttributeGraviteeGraphQL Apollo
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, KubernetesJavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile
Founded20152016

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

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 Gravitee

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • Analytics Dashboard
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Kafka
  • LDAP
  • Cloud support

Only in GraphQL Apollo

  • Apollo Server
  • Apollo Client
  • GraphQL Federation
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • Databases
  • JavaScript support
  • Node.js support

What people use each for

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

Gravitee

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Exposing Kafka event streams as managed APIsnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Protocol mediation between event brokers and clientsnot GraphQL Apollo
  • Self-hosting an open source API gatewaynot GraphQL Apollo
  • Access control and authentication in front of internal APIsnot GraphQL Apollo

GraphQL Apollo

  • API Developmentnot Gravitee
  • API Gatewaynot Gravitee
  • API Testingnot Gravitee
  • API Documentationnot Gravitee
  • Microservicesnot Gravitee

Where each one falls short

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

Gravitee

  • The entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • Event management is priced separately, starting at $1,250 a month for the Comet tier
  • Tiers are gated on gateway and broker counts, so scaling horizontally means moving tier rather than paying incrementally
  • Data logging masking and other enterprise features are withheld from the lowest paid tier
  • 24/7 support requires the top Universe tier

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Gravitee

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • API Gateway
    • Basic analytics
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$1500/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • SLA support
    • SSO integration
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Gravitee if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
  • You also want developer portal.
Gravitee review

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

Questions people ask

Is Gravitee or GraphQL Apollo better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravitee starts at Free and GraphQL Apollo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gravitee or GraphQL Apollo?
Gravitee starts at Free and GraphQL Apollo at Free.
Does Gravitee or GraphQL Apollo run on more platforms?
Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes. GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
Can I use Gravitee for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Gravitee best used for?
Gravitee is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, exposing kafka event streams as managed apis, protocol mediation between event brokers and clients, self-hosting an open source api gateway. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and exposing kafka event streams as managed apis are not what GraphQL Apollo is typically brought in for.
What can Gravitee do that GraphQL Apollo cannot?
Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes. GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs.
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