Best GraphQL Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: GraphQL Hive is ranked #1 of 24 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of WunderGraph Cosmo and Apollo Client. The best-ranked option with a free plan is WunderGraph Cosmo. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Apollo Client at $5/mo.
24 GraphQL tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GraphQL Hive | 8.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $20/mo | Yes | 20 /mo | self-hosted | View |
| 2 | WunderGraph Cosmo | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $499/mo | Yes | 499 /mo | hybrid | View |
| 3 | Apollo Client | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $5/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | View |
| 4 | Hasura | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 5 /mo | hybrid | View |
| 5 | Hot Chocolate | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 6 | Strawberry GraphQL | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 7 |  Relay | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 8 | GraphQL Ruby | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 9 |  Altair GraphQL Client | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 10 | Amazon AppSync | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | cloud | View |
| 11 |  PostGraphile | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 25 /mo | self-hosted | View |
| 12 |  GraphQL Kotlin | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 13 |  Netflix DGS | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 14 | Ariadne | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 15 |  gqlgen | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 16 | GraphiQL | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Graphene | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 18 |  Lighthouse | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 19 |  async-graphql | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
| 20 |  Sangria | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 21 |  Mercurius | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 22 |  urql | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 23 |  GraphQL.js | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | self-hosted | View |
| 24 |  GraphQL Java | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | self-hosted | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which GraphQL tool is ranked first on Inferse?
GraphQL Hive is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 8.9. WunderGraph Cosmo is second and Apollo Client third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Apollo Client has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.