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APIs · head to head

Hasura vs Maestro

Hasura logo

Hasura

APIs

GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Maestro logo

Maestro

Mobile Development

Open source mobile UI testing with YAML flows, and a cloud priced per concurrent device rather than per test minute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hasura active model definition: model/command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly; Maestro cloud pricing is per concurrent device at 250 USD per month, so the cost is driven by how quickly you need the suite to finish rather than by how much you test, and a team wanting a fast pull request gate buys several devices at once.
  • They diverge on capability: Hasura covers GraphQL API, Maestro covers YAML test flows.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hasura and Maestro actually diverge.

Attributes where Hasura and Maestro differ
AttributeHasuraMaestro
Pricing modelfreemiumPer concurrent cloud device per month
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Web, macOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryAPIsMobile Development
Founded2017Unknown

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

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 Hasura

  • GraphQL API
  • Real-time subscriptions
  • Access control
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Webhooks
  • REST APIs
  • Cloud support

Only in Maestro

  • YAML test flows
  • Built-in flakiness tolerance
  • Maestro Studio
  • Open source CLI
  • Cloud device runs
  • CI and pull request integration

What people use each for

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

Hasura

  • Automatic GraphQL API generation from existing databasesnot Maestro
  • Real-time data subscriptions for modern applicationsnot Maestro
  • Backend infrastructure for web and mobile applicationsnot Maestro
  • Event-triggered webhooks for database changesnot Maestro

Maestro

  • A mobile team replacing an Appium suite that spends more engineering time on maintenance than on new coveragenot Hasura
  • Running smoke tests on every pull request without buying and maintaining a physical device labnot Hasura
  • Letting a QA specialist who does not write application code author and own the end-to-end suitenot Hasura
  • Reproducing a reported bug by recording the exact flow in Studio and committing it as a regression testnot Hasura

Where each one falls short

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

Hasura

  • Active model definition: model/command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly
  • Private DDN requires Base or Advanced plan

Maestro

  • Cloud pricing is per concurrent device at 250 USD per month, so the cost is driven by how quickly you need the suite to finish rather than by how much you test, and a team wanting a fast pull request gate buys several devices at once.
  • YAML is deliberately limited, so tests with real conditional logic or data-driven permutations end up in embedded scripting blocks where the readability advantage that justified the format disappears.
  • Maestro drives the app as a black box, so it cannot assert on internal state, mock a network layer from inside the process or inspect application memory the way an in-process framework can.
  • The hosted device catalogue is narrower than dedicated device clouds, so testing against a long tail of specific manufacturer builds and older operating system versions still requires another provider.
  • The project rebranded from mobile.dev to Maestro, so a share of existing tutorials, blog posts and links point at old domains and documentation that no longer match the current tooling.

Pricing, plan by plan

Hasura

Free
  • DDN FreeFree
    • Unlimited models
    • 1 supergraph developer
    • 15-minute observability retention
  • DDN Base$5/month
    • Per active model billing
    • Unlimited developers
    • 30-day observability retention
  • DDN Advanced$30/month
    • Per active model billing
    • Federated collaboration
    • Multi-repo CI/CD

Maestro

Free
  • LocalFree
    • Free and open source CLI
    • Maestro Studio, Viewer and MCP
    • Runs on your own simulators, emulators and devices
  • Cloud$250/month
    • Per device per month
    • Unlimited hosted test runs
    • Hosted Android, iOS and web devices
  • Enterprise Cloud$undefined/year
    • Quoted
    • SSO and dedicated support
    • Custom contracts

Which should you pick?

Choose Hasura if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time subscriptions.
Hasura review

Choose Maestro if

  • You need yaml test flows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want built-in flakiness tolerance.
Maestro review

Questions people ask

Is Hasura or Maestro better?
Neither clearly leads. Hasura starts at Free and Maestro at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hasura or Maestro?
Hasura starts at Free and Maestro at Free.
Does Hasura or Maestro run on more platforms?
Hasura runs on Web. Maestro runs on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Hasura for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hasura best used for?
Hasura is most often used for automatic graphql api generation from existing databases, real-time data subscriptions for modern applications, backend infrastructure for web and mobile applications, event-triggered webhooks for database changes. Of those, automatic graphql api generation from existing databases and real-time data subscriptions for modern applications are not what Maestro is typically brought in for.
What can Hasura do that Maestro cannot?
Hasura covers GraphQL API, Real-time subscriptions, Access control, PostgreSQL. Maestro covers YAML test flows, Built-in flakiness tolerance, Maestro Studio, Open source CLI.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hasura: How much does Hasura cost?

Hasura DDN Free is free. DDN Base starts at $5/active model/month, and DDN Advanced starts at $30/active model/month.

Source
Maestro: Is Maestro free?

The CLI, Studio and local execution are free and open source. The hosted device cloud is 250 USD per device per month.

Hasura: What is an active model in Hasura pricing?

An active model is defined as any model or command accessed more than 1,000 times monthly.

Source
Maestro: What exactly does per device mean?

It is a concurrency slot. One device runs one test at a time, so suite duration is a function of how many devices you buy.

Hasura: Is there a free version of Hasura?

Yes, Hasura DDN Free is always free and includes unlimited models, 1 supergraph developer, and 15-minute observability retention.

Source
Maestro: How does it compare with Appium?

Tests are YAML rather than code and flakiness handling is built in, which reduces maintenance, at the cost of lower-level control.

Maestro: Can it test web applications too?

Yes, the cloud offers hosted web devices alongside Android and iOS, though the product centre of gravity is mobile.

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