Comparing Grafbase vs Hasura for enterprise GraphQL Federation

Modern enterprises demand scalable, high-performance, and secure solutions to manage their expansive, complex API ecosystems.

Grafbase has been engineered to meet the demands of enterprises–whether Fortune 500 companies, financial services institutions, or government entities–providing unmatched performance, enterprise-grade security, and offers the ability self-host the whole platform.

This guide compares Grafbase and Hasura across critical dimensions, helping you choose the right platform to power your API infrastructure.

Feature comparison at a glance

FeatureGrafbaseHasura
Performance
Designed for high performance in Rust, with up to 40% faster response times and significantly lower CPU usage
Performance bottlenecks with complex queries and large datasets
Self-hosting
The Grafbase platform can be self-hosted in your own infrastructure for maximum control
Limited self-hosting options with vendor lock-in concerns
Git configuration
Evolve your schema using Git with full control
Can only be configured using the Hasura UI
Security
Best-in-class security features like Complexity Control and Message Signatures to secure your graph
Basic RBAC with limited customization options
Federation
Use a unified graph to federate multiple databases
Does not support GraphQL Federation

Grafbase is the leading GraphQL Federation platform for enterprises seeking high-performance, scalable, and secure API management. With flexible deployment options, including self-hosted and air-gapped environments, Grafbase meets stringent security and governance requirements while simplifying API infrastructures. Here's what sets Grafbase apart from Hasura:

Unmatched performance
Powered by Rust, Grafbase delivers industry-leading query speeds— up to 40% faster and significantly lower CPU usage. This ensures low-latency responses, even at enterprise scale, enabling faster applications and reduced operational costs.
Security
Grafbase supports arbitrary field level authorization via WebAssembly which enables full access to the request/response data and I/O.
Collaboration and Governance
Grafbase is designed for large engineering teams, enabling collaboration while maintaining strict governance protocols essential for enterprise compliance.

Conclusion

Both Grafbase and Hasura offer GraphQL solutions, but they serve different market segments and use cases. Grafbase stands out for enterprises that demand performance, security, scalability, and a superior developer experience. Hasura, while suitable for simple database-to-GraphQL use cases, lacks the enterprise-grade features and performance optimization required for complex, large-scale deployments.

Transform your API management with Grafbase, the enterprise-grade GraphQL Federation platform. Contact our team of experts today to learn more about how Grafbase can help your organization.

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