Ariadne vs GraphQL Ruby
Ariadne
ariadnegraphql.orgGraphQL Ruby
graphql-ruby.orgSide by side
| Figure | Ariadne | GraphQL Ruby |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $91.67/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · GraphQL Tools | 8.1 (#5) | 7.8 (#11) |
| Purpose | Ariadne is a Python library for building GraphQL APIs with a schema-first approach. | The graphql gem implements the GraphQL Server Specification in Ruby and adds a GraphQL API to Ruby or Rails applications. |
Plans
GraphQL Ruby
- GraphQL Ruby gemFree
- GraphQL::Pro$1,100 a year
- GraphQL::Enterprise$2,400 a year
In their own words
Ariadne
Ariadne is an open-source Python library for building GraphQL APIs with a schema-first design. Developers describe an API using GraphQL Schema Definition Language and connect schema fields to application logic with resolver functions. The server supports asynchronous and synchronous query execution and can be served through WSGI or ASGI apps. The project describes interoperability with web frameworks and includes a Django integration example. Ariadne Codegen creates a typed Python client and Pydantic models from a GraphQL schema and operations; generated client results are validated against those models at runtime. An optional SQLAlchemy 2.0 integration supports synchronous sessions in WSGI and ASGI, while AsyncSession is limited to ASGI and has a documented limitation involving sibling root fields. Ariadne implements the GraphQL multipart request specification for uploads. Its default Upload scalar is write-only and supports values passed through variables. Security documentation discusses denial-of-service and credential-leakage risks and gives mitigation guidance. Ariadne is self-hosted and free, and the site lists Linux, web, and API platforms.
GraphQL Ruby
GraphQL Ruby is a free, self-hosted Ruby gem that implements the GraphQL Server Specification for Ruby or Rails applications. It provides a self-documenting, strongly typed schema and serves queries, mutations, subscriptions, streaming responses, and multiplexed queries. Configurable depth and complexity validation can reject deeply nested or overly complex requests. Authorization tools handle schema visibility and checks on application objects during execution, while authentication is generally left to the application controller. GraphQL::Dataloader batches external data access and caches results per query; AsyncDataloader supports parallel I/O. Documentation covers Relay, Apollo Client, GraphQL.js Client, GraphiQL, urql, and custom JavaScript, plus monitoring integrations. The open-source gem is installed through RubyGems and uses the MIT license. The GraphQL Ruby gem costs nothing. GraphQL::Pro costs $1,100 a year, and GraphQL::Enterprise costs $2,400 a year under commercial licenses.