Softwr

Software · head to head

Swagger vs GraphQL Apollo

S

Swagger

Software

API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing 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: Swagger swaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page; 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: Swagger covers API Specification, GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Swagger and GraphQL Apollo differ
AttributeSwaggerGraphQL Apollo
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWeb, CLI, DesktopJavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile
Founded20112016

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 Swagger

  • API Specification
  • Interactive Documentation
  • Code Generation
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Azure DevOps
  • Jira
  • CLI support

Only in GraphQL Apollo

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Swagger

  • API Development
  • API Gateway
  • API Testing
  • API Documentation
  • Microservices

GraphQL Apollo

  • API Development
  • API Gateway
  • API Testing
  • API Documentation
  • Microservices

Both are used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation, microservices, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Swagger

  • SwaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page

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

Swagger

Free
  • FreeFree
    • OpenAPI specification
    • Swagger UI
    • API documentation
  • Professional$20/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Team collaboration
    • API testing
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

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 Swagger if

  • You need api specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
  • You also want interactive documentation.
Swagger 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 Swagger or GraphQL Apollo better?
Neither clearly leads. Swagger 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, Swagger or GraphQL Apollo?
Swagger starts at Free and GraphQL Apollo at Free.
Does Swagger or GraphQL Apollo run on more platforms?
Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop. GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
Can I use Swagger for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Swagger best used for?
Swagger is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation.
What can Swagger do that GraphQL Apollo cannot?
Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub. GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs. Both handle Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Swagger

More on GraphQL Apollo

Keep looking

Other head to heads