Hot Chocolate
chillicream.com
What it is
Hot Chocolate is an open-source GraphQL server for.NET that runs on ASP.NET Core and builds a GraphQL schema from C# types and resolvers. Developers can define typed schemas through implementation-first or code-first methods. It supports GraphQL over HTTP and WebSocket, plus Server-Sent Events for streaming responses. Documentation describes schema downloads, a Nitro GraphQL IDE endpoint, and a command-line interface for schema export. Data integrations include Entity Framework, MongoDB, and Marten; DataLoaders and batch resolvers help batch and cache related requests. OpenTelemetry instrumentation covers server, execution, and DataLoader activity. Security guidance recommends query cost analysis, pagination and execution-depth limits, and timeouts for public APIs; trusted documents can restrict private APIs to registered operations. Servers can act as Fusion subgraphs. Hot Chocolate implements the GraphQL 2025 specification and GraphQL over HTTP, and supports spec-compliant clients including Strawberry Shake, Relay, and Apollo Client. It is MIT licensed for commercial or private use. Community support is free; paid Startup support starts at $450 per month and includes two critical incidents.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- Hot Chocolate is an open-source GraphQL server for .NET that runs on ASP.NET Core.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Intended users
- The documentation describes trusted documents as suited to private APIs serving known clients, including an organization's own web or mobile applications.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Security
- Hot Chocolate integrates with ASP.NET Core authentication and supports JWT, cookies, and other authentication schemes.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Support
- ChilliCream lists community support as free and paid support plans starting at $450 per month for Startup, with two critical incidents included.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- License
- The product page says Hot Chocolate is MIT licensed and may be used, modified, and distributed in commercial or private projects.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Headquarters
- Wilmington, Delaware, United StatesRead 28 Sep 2026 · chillicream.com
- Authentication and authorization
- The security guide includes authentication and authorization, and says trusted documents can limit private APIs to operations registered with the server.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Company location
- ChilliCream lists its address as 1207 Delaware Ave #3567, Wilmington, DE 19806, United States.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Data access
- Its data middleware supports IQueryable or IExecutable sources, with guidance for Entity Framework Core, MongoDB, and Marten.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Data loading
- Hot Chocolate provides DataLoader and batch resolver options for fetching data efficiently.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Efficient fetching
- DataLoaders batch and cache related data requests to address the GraphQL N+1 problem.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Federation
- A Hot Chocolate server can act as a Fusion subgraph, allowing services to be composed behind a gateway as teams need independent ownership and deployment.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- File upload limit
- The Upload scalar supports file uploads, but the documentation says uploads through a gateway to stitched services are not yet supported.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Getting started
- The maker's tutorial requires the .NET 8 SDK or later and says it guides users to a running GraphQL server.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Observability
- The built-in OpenTelemetry integration emits GraphQL request, resolver, and DataLoader spans.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Observability integration
- Hot Chocolate provides OpenTelemetry instrumentation across the server, execution engine, and DataLoader layers.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Query safeguards
- The security guidance recommends cost analysis for public APIs and trusted documents for private APIs, alongside limits such as pagination, execution depth, and timeouts.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Schema authoring
- It supports implementation-first and code-first schema authoring in C#, and both approaches can be mixed in one project.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Schema operations
- Its server documentation describes schema download, a Nitro GraphQL IDE endpoint, and a command-line interface for exporting schemas.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Standards and clients
- It implements the GraphQL 2025 specification and GraphQL over HTTP, and is compatible with spec-compliant clients including Strawberry Shake, Relay, and Apollo Client.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- Transport
- It returns results over HTTP, WebSocket, or Server-Sent Events.Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
- What it is
- Hot Chocolate is an open-source GraphQL server for .NET that runs on ASP.NET Core and turns C# types and resolvers into a GraphQL schema.Read 3 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
Plans and prices
Hot Chocolate Free MIT licensed · free to use in commercial or private projects Read 4 Oct 2026 · chillicream.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- MIT license permits commercial and private use.
- Supports HTTP, WebSocket, and Server-Sent Events.
- DataLoaders batch and cache related requests.
- OpenTelemetry instrumentation covers server, execution, and DataLoader layers.
Limits
- File uploads through a gateway to stitched services are not supported.
- Getting-started tutorial requires.NET 8 SDK or later.
- Paid Startup support starts at $450 per month.
Who it suits
Hot Chocolate suits .NET developers building GraphQL APIs on ASP.NET Core, including teams that need typed schemas, data-loading tools, or OpenTelemetry instrumentation. Its trusted-document option is intended for private APIs serving known clients, such as an organization's own web or mobile apps.
Verdict
Hot Chocolate combines schema authoring, data access options, and query safeguards in a self-hosted .NET GraphQL server. Its documentation identifies both the supported transports and a limitation on uploads through gateways to stitched services.
Where Specifiction places it
- GraphQL Tools#6 of 328.1
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