Best GraphQL Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Apollo Client is ranked #1 of 24 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Relay and GraphQL Hive. The best-ranked option with a free plan is GraphQL Hive. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Apollo Client at $5/mo.
GraphQL development can involve exploring APIs, generating client code, testing operations and managing schemas. Compare API explorer and client code generation support with operation testing and schema registry features. Deployment model and server languages offer additional ways to assess how each tool may fit your development environment; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Apollo Client, Relay and Altair GraphQL Client are among the listed tools, alongside Apollo Studio and GraphQL Hive. Consider which parts of your GraphQL workflow you need to support, then compare the capabilities and deployment details shown for each option.
24 GraphQL tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Apollo Client iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.5$5/mo Deployment model: hybridSchema registry: YesAPI explorer: Yes
- 2 Relay iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.2
- 3 GraphQL Hive No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.1$20/mo Deployment model: self-hostedSchema registry: NoAPI explorer: Yes
- 4 WunderGraph Cosmo No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9$499/mo Deployment model: hybridSchema registry: YesAPI explorer: Yes
- 5 Hot Chocolate No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 6 Strawberry GraphQL No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.6Free Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 7 GraphQL Kotlin No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1Free Deployment model: self-hosted
- 8 Altair GraphQL Client No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.1Free
- 9 Hasura No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0 Deployment model: hybrid
- 10 Amazon AppSync No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8 Deployment model: cloudAPI explorer: Yes
- 11 GraphQL Ruby No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6$91.67/mo Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 12 Netflix DGS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5 Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 13 gqlgen No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5Free
- 14 Ariadne No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4 Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 15 PostGraphile No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4 Deployment model: self-hostedSchema registry: NoAPI explorer: Yes
- 16 async-graphql No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.0 Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 17 GraphiQL No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8
- 18 Graphene No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment model: self-hosted
- 19 GraphQL Java No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3Free Deployment model: self-hosted
- 20 Lighthouse No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: No
- 21 Sangria No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2 Deployment model: self-hosted
- 22 Mercurius No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Deployment model: self-hostedAPI explorer: Yes
- 23 GraphQL.js No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.0 Deployment model: self-hosted
- 24 urql No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.0 Deployment model: self-hostedSchema registry: NoAPI explorer: No
Is your app 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 Samsung Mobile US Press?
Apollo Client is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 8.5. Relay is second and GraphQL Hive third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 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 mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.