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Stainless vs Apollo GraphQL

Stainless logo

Stainless

Software

Generates client SDKs, API docs, and MCP servers from an OpenAPI spec

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Apollo GraphQL logo

Apollo GraphQL

Software

GraphQL platform and API orchestration layer for building unified graphs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Stainless starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.; Apollo GraphQL pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Stainless covers SDK generation, Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Stainless and Apollo GraphQL differ
AttributeStainlessApollo GraphQL

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (web, api), 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 Stainless

  • SDK generation
  • MCP server generation
  • Docs site generation
  • Webhooks and streaming support
  • Automated unit tests
  • Git integration

Only in Apollo GraphQL

  • Apollo Connectors
  • GraphOS Router
  • Schema registry
  • Schema checks
  • Response caching
  • Audit logging

What people use each for

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

Stainless

  • Generating typed SDKs for a public APInot Apollo GraphQL
  • Producing an MCP server from an existing OpenAPI specnot Apollo GraphQL
  • Building an API documentation site alongside client librariesnot Apollo GraphQL
  • Giving open-source APIs a free SDK generation pathnot Apollo GraphQL

Apollo GraphQL

  • Federating multiple backend services into one GraphQL APInot Stainless
  • Wrapping legacy REST APIs for frontend consumptionnot Stainless
  • Enterprise API governance with schema checks and audit logsnot Stainless
  • Reducing frontend over-fetching and under-fetching of datanot Stainless

Where each one falls short

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

Stainless

  • Starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.
  • The free plan caps APIs at 25 endpoints, which excludes larger production APIs.
  • Overage charges apply per SDK/endpoint/month once limits are exceeded, which can make costs unpredictable at scale.

Apollo GraphQL

  • Pricing beyond the Developer tier requires contacting sales, making cost comparison harder for mid-size teams.
  • Adopting GraphOS effectively requires buy-in to the GraphQL paradigm, which is a larger architectural shift than adding a REST gateway.
  • The free plan's 1-day data retention and 60 req/min self-hosted router limit make it unsuitable for production use.
  • Volume-based per-request pricing can become expensive at very high request volumes compared to flat-rate API gateways.

Pricing, plan by plan

Stainless

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 generators (SDKs, docs, or MCP servers)
    • 5 seats
    • APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints
  • Starter$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited generators
    • Expanded seats
    • Private SDKs of any size
  • Pro$undefined/mo
    • Custom enterprise features and pricing
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Dedicated support
    • SOC 2 compliance reports
    • Purchase order/invoicing with negotiable terms

Apollo GraphQL

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 developers
    • 1-day data retention
    • Community support
  • Developer$5/month
    • $5 per million requests with volume discounts
    • $50 usage credit for new signups
    • Up to 10 developers
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Up to 30 developers
    • 90-day data retention
    • Standard support with SLA
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited developers
    • 18-month data retention
    • 24x7x365 support with SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Stainless if

  • You need sdk generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want mcp server generation.
Stainless review

Choose Apollo GraphQL if

  • You need apollo connectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want graphos router.
Apollo GraphQL review

Questions people ask

Is Stainless or Apollo GraphQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Stainless starts at Free and Apollo GraphQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stainless or Apollo GraphQL?
Stainless starts at Free and Apollo GraphQL at Free.
Does Stainless or Apollo GraphQL run on more platforms?
Both run on web, api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Stainless for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Stainless best used for?
Stainless is most often used for generating typed sdks for a public api, producing an mcp server from an existing openapi spec, building an api documentation site alongside client libraries, giving open-source apis a free sdk generation path. Of those, generating typed sdks for a public api and producing an mcp server from an existing openapi spec are not what Apollo GraphQL is typically brought in for.
What can Stainless do that Apollo GraphQL cannot?
Stainless covers SDK generation, MCP server generation, Docs site generation, Webhooks and streaming support. Apollo GraphQL covers Apollo Connectors, GraphOS Router, Schema registry, Schema checks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stainless: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes. The Free plan supports up to 5 generators, 5 seats, APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints, and 100 preview builds per month, with email support.

Source
Apollo GraphQL: What does Apollo GraphQL cost?

The Free plan supports up to 3 developers at no cost. Developer plan starts at $5 per million requests with a $50 signup credit, while Standard and Enterprise require contacting sales for custom pricing.

Source
Stainless: Who owns the generated SDK code?

The generated SDK code is owned by the customer and published by Stainless under the Apache 2.0 license.

Source
Apollo GraphQL: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the Free 'Forever Free' plan supports up to 3 developers, 1-day data retention for checks and insights, and a self-hosted router capped at 60 requests per minute.

Source
Stainless: What happens if I exceed my plan's endpoint limit?

Customers exceeding their endpoint limits are billed per SDK, per endpoint, per month for the overage.

Source
Apollo GraphQL: How is usage metered on paid plans?

Standard requests are billed per million operations with tiered volume discounts, starting at $5.00/million for the first 250M and dropping to $3.00/million beyond 5B, with similar tiered pricing for subscription update events.

Source
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