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Gravitee vs GraphQL Playground

Gravitee logo

Gravitee

Software

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GraphQL Playground logo

GraphQL Playground

Software

GraphQL IDE and documentation tool 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 Playground apollo's own documentation states GraphQL Playground is officially retired and no longer recommended, directing users to Apollo Sandbox instead
  • They diverge on capability: Gravitee covers API Gateway, GraphQL Playground covers Query building.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Gravitee and GraphQL Playground differ
AttributeGraviteeGraphQL Playground
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, KubernetesWeb, Electron, Self-hosted
Founded20152018

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 Playground

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

What people use each for

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

Gravitee

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

GraphQL Playground

  • 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 Playground

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

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 Playground

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full GraphQL IDE
    • Community support

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 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

Questions people ask

Is Gravitee or GraphQL Playground better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravitee starts at Free and GraphQL Playground at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gravitee or GraphQL Playground?
Gravitee starts at Free and GraphQL Playground at Free.
Does Gravitee or GraphQL Playground run on more platforms?
Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes. GraphQL Playground runs on Web, Electron, Self-hosted.
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 Playground is typically brought in for.
What can Gravitee do that GraphQL Playground cannot?
Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes. GraphQL Playground covers Query building, Schema introspection, Real-time testing, GraphQL servers.
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