Best GraphQL Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Altair GraphQL Client is ranked #1 of 25 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Apollo Studio and Apollo Client. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Apollo Studio. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Apollo Studio at $5/mo.
GraphQL tooling covers different needs in building and operating APIs, so compare the capabilities that match your work. API explorer, client code generation, operation testing, and schema registry help distinguish what each option supports; server languages and deployment model add context for implementation. Free plan availability and paid-from pricing give you cost details to weigh alongside those features. GraphQL Hive and WunderGraph Cosmo lead the ranking, with Hasura and Relay also among the first entries. Altair GraphQL Client, Hot Chocolate, Apollo Client, and Strawberry GraphQL follow. Use the listed criteria to compare tools for the parts of your GraphQL workflow you need to handle.
25 GraphQL tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Altair GraphQL Client Top pick · 7.4 
#2 Apollo Studio Runner-up · 7.4 Free plan · $5/mo
#3 Apollo Client Also great · 7.2 Free plan · $5/mo
- Free plan extensionLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Schema registry
- Yes
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$5/mofirst paid tier About Apollo StudioVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiextensioniOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Schema registry
- Yes
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$5/mofirst paid tier About Apollo ClientVisit site - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 20 /mo
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- Schema registry
- No
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20/mofirst paid tier About GraphQL HiveVisit site - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 499 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Schema registry
- Yes
- API explorer
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$499/mofirst paid tier About WunderGraph CosmoVisit site - Free plan apiself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan self-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidiOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 25 /mo
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- Schema registry
- No
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- Schema registry
- No
- API explorer
- No
- Client code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 5 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
- API explorer
- Yes
- Client code generation
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Deployment model
- self-hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
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 Everything Xiaomi?
Altair GraphQL Client is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 7.4. Apollo Studio is second and Apollo Client third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Apollo Studio has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.