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This is the documentation for the old GraphQL Mesh version v0. We recommend upgrading to the latest GraphQL Mesh version v1.
Migrate to GraphQL Mesh v1
Migrate to GraphQL Mesh v1
What is the difference between Mesh, Federation, Hasura, and GraphQL Tools?
As stated in the introduction page, many approaches exist to build a GraphQL Gateway:
- creating an Apollo Server with Apollo DataSource to query sub-services
- creating a GraphQL Gateway from scratch using
GraphQL tools (ex:
stitchSchemas()) - use Apollo Federation
- use Hasura on top of a Postgres with custom Actions
The comparison table below evaluates all those solutions based on 3 criteria:
- How is the solution helping you build Unified Schema Gateway in a productive and maintainable way?
- Is the solution provides all the features to build a well-designed Unified GraphQL Schema? (comprehensive, simplified abstraction of a set of sub-services)
- Which sub services types the solution supports?
| Productivity / Maintainability | Unified Schema design | Sub-services support | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GraphQL Mesh | 🟢 Packages with a server, caching, Envelop plugins, and large sub-service types support. Configuration-based with custom resolvers. | 🟢 Flexible Schema design with Transforms and custom resolvers support. | 🟢 Support for a large range of types of sub-service and databases. |
| GraphQL Tools | 🟠 Programmatic approach at the Gateway level. Type merging makes it easier to deal with sub-services conflicts. | 🟢 Access to all GraphQL Schema building libraries. | 🟠 Only supports GraphQL sub-services out of the box. Other sub-service types can be supported with Schema extensions at the Gateway level. |
| Apollo Server with DataSources | 🔴 Requires a lot of coding and maintenance work at the DataSources level. | 🟢 Access to all GraphQL Schema building libraries. | 🟠 Integrating with some type of sub-services might require some extra work. |
| Apollo Federation | 🟢 Rover CLI and Apollo Studio. Only the Apollo Gateway needs maintenance. | 🟢 Access to all GraphQL Schema building libraries. | 🔴 Only supports “Federation compliant” GraphQL sub-services. |
| Hasura | 🟢 Plug and play solution. Configuration-based with custom resolvers. | 🟠 The Unified Schema is directly linked to the underlying database schema or sub-services design. | 🟠 Only supports GraphQL and REST sub-services and, a set of databases. |