Comparing Grafbase vs Hive for enterprise GraphQL Federation

Grafbase vs. Hive: Enterprise GraphQL federation compared

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. Meanwhile, Hive, while a strong contender, requires significant effort to customize and manage large-scale environments.

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

Feature comparison at a glance

Feature	Grafbase	Hive
Performance	Designed for high performance in Rust, with up to 40% faster response times and significantly lower CPU and memory usage	High CPU and memory usage due to JavaScript core
Self-hosting	Versioned Docker images with official Helm charts and fewer moving parts	20+ pods, no Docker image versioning or official Helm charts
Security	Best-in-class security features like Message Signatures and Hooks to secure your graph	Field authorization limited to @authenticated and @requiresScopes directives
Customization	WebAssembly Hooks for flexibility	Requires plugins or GraphQL Mesh customization
Governance	Powerful governance tools like Schema Proposals for managing complex schemas	Customers have to build their own governance tools
Security	Best-in-class security features like Message Signatures and Hooks to secure your graph	Field authorization limited to @policy directive

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:

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.

Customization

Teams can seamlessly customize the Grafbase Gateway behavior without the need for complex middleware using Hooks and Extensions.

Collaboration and Governance

Grafbase is designed for large engineering teams, enabling collaboration while maintaining strict governance protocols essential for enterprise compliance.

Conclusion

For enterprises prioritizing performance, security, and governance, Grafbase is the superior choice. Hive is a good alternative for teams without latency sensitive applications or customization and governance needs.

Contact our team today to learn how Grafbase can power your enterprise APIs.

Get Started

Start building your federated graph now.