Amazon AppSync vs Netflix DGS
Amazon AppSync
aws.amazon.comNetflix DGS
netflix.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Amazon AppSync | Netflix DGS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · GraphQL Tools | 7.8 (#10) | 7.7 (#14) |
| Federation | AppSync Merged GraphQL APIs combine schemas, data sources, and resolvers from multiple source APIs into one endpoint. | DGS supports GraphQL Federation and can reference and extend federated types. |
| Purpose | AWS AppSync connects applications to events, data, and AI models through GraphQL and pub/sub APIs. | DGS is a GraphQL server framework for Spring Boot that makes it easier to create GraphQL services. |
Plans
In their own words
Amazon AppSync
Amazon AppSync has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Netflix DGS
Netflix DGS is a free, open-source GraphQL server framework for Spring Boot, deployed as a self-hosted API service. Its annotation-based programming model supports Java and Kotlin, with Gradle or Maven builds. DGS favors schema-first development: schema files belong in src/main/resources/schema, and its Gradle plugin can generate Java types from a GraphQL schema. A test framework runs GraphQL queries in lightweight unit tests, while data loaders batch requests to help address the N+1 problem. The framework supports GraphQL Federation, WebSocket and SSE subscriptions, file uploads, error handling, and extension points. Spring Security integration allows @Secured on data fetchers after security configuration. DGS also integrates with Spring for GraphQL, although that path currently lacks SSE subscriptions and some DGS data-loader features do not work with Spring for GraphQL data loaders. A browser GraphiQL editor and an IntelliJ plugin are included. Current documentation requires Spring Boot 3 and JDK 17; DGS 11+ with Spring Boot 4 is actively maintained, while DGS 10.x receives most feature backports until the second half of 2026.