# Absinthe vs urql

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** urql

| Attribute | Absinthe | urql |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 45.3 (41% (low)) | 59.9 (51% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 5 | 3 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 1,257 | 57,619 |
| adoption.github_stars | 4,399 | 8,980 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 1,178,429 |
| content.faq | - | `[{"answer":"A JavaScript GraphQL client that integrates with popular frameworks like React and Vue. The library is designed to be lightweight with optional features for caching and optimization. It is indexed under GraphQL Tools.","source":"https://urql.dev","question":"What is urql?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"urql is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://urql.dev","question":"Is urql free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to urql. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://urql.dev","question":"What platforms does urql support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. urql is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql","question":"Is urql open source?","confidence":0.99}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | - |
| description.long | A GraphQL implementation toolkit for Elixir that emphasizes developer ergonomics, compile-time schema verification, and production performance. Designed with idiomatic Elixir patterns and supports common web frameworks. | A framework-agnostic GraphQL client library that works with React, Preact, Vue, Solid, and Svelte, featuring flexible caching and a highly customizable API. |
| features.capabilities | `{"role":"server","language":"Elixir","managed_cloud":false,"self_hostable":true,"subscriptions":true,"schema_approach":"introspection"}` | `{"role":"client","caching":true,"language":"TypeScript","subscriptions":true}` |
| integrations.count | 3 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Phoenix","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Plug","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Apollo Client","native":false,"direction":"outbound"}]` | - |
| language.primary | Elixir | TypeScript |
| license.spdx | - | MIT |
| platform.support | - | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://absinthe-graphql.org/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-11T19:18:15.098Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source (MIT license)","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://urql.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T21:40:56.515Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | 56 | 1 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.12.0","date":"2026-09-02T19:38:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.11.0","date":"2026-06-04T19:07:22Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.10.0","date":"2026-04-03T16:08:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.9.0","date":"2025-11-21T15:08:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.8.0","date":"2025-11-06T13:26:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.7.11","date":"2025-10-30T13:52:04Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.7.10","date":"2025-06-09T16:38:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.7.9","date":"2025-03-14T12:16:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.7.8","date":"2025-03-14T12:09:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.7.7","date":"2024-07-11T20:29:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.7.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.6","date":"2021-09-28T21:41:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.5","date":"2021-08-03T16:35:10Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.4","date":"2021-04-16T21:34:35Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.3","date":"2021-04-16T21:34:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.2","date":"2021-02-05T07:13:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.1","date":"2021-02-01T19:20:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.0","date":"2021-01-15T23:24:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.0-rc.1","date":"2021-01-14T22:25:31Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.6.0-rc.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.6.0-rc.0","date":"2021-01-02T21:49:41Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.6.0-rc.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe/releases/tag/v1.5.5","date":"2020-12-08T22:55:46Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.5.5"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/exchange-graphcache%409.0.2","date":"2026-10-02T04:49:37Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/exchange-graphcache@9.0.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/urql%405.0.4","date":"2026-08-21T17:08:08Z","type":"stable","version":"urql@5.0.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/core%406.0.3","date":"2026-06-22T10:46:51Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/core@6.0.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/urql%405.0.3","date":"2026-06-15T17:41:31Z","type":"stable","version":"urql@5.0.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/vue%402.1.1","date":"2026-06-15T17:41:19Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/vue@2.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/next%402.0.1","date":"2026-06-15T17:41:22Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/next@2.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/exchange-graphcache%409.0.1","date":"2026-06-15T17:41:25Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/exchange-graphcache@9.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/core%406.0.2","date":"2026-06-15T17:41:28Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/core@6.0.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/urql%405.0.2","date":"2026-04-15T03:03:48Z","type":"stable","version":"urql@5.0.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/vue%402.1.0","date":"2026-04-01T18:38:53Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/vue@2.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/solid-start%400.2.0","date":"2026-04-01T18:38:56Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/solid-start@0.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/solid%401.0.1","date":"2026-01-25T10:17:50Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/solid@1.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/solid-start%400.1.0","date":"2026-01-25T10:17:47Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/solid-start@0.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/storage-rn%401.1.2","date":"2026-01-23T06:42:22Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/storage-rn@1.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/exchange-refocus%402.1.0","date":"2026-01-23T06:42:16Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/exchange-refocus@2.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/exchange-graphcache%409.0.0","date":"2026-01-23T06:42:19Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/exchange-graphcache@9.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/urql%405.0.1","date":"2025-08-29T08:06:41Z","type":"stable","version":"urql@5.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/exchange-persisted%405.0.1","date":"2025-08-11T05:29:00Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/exchange-persisted@5.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/%40urql/core%406.0.1","date":"2025-08-11T05:29:03Z","type":"stable","version":"@urql/core@6.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/releases/tag/urql%405.0.0","date":"2025-08-09T13:26:59Z","type":"stable","version":"urql@5.0.0"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 4.2 | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":4,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=hex&package_name=absinthe&per_page=100","last_12m":4,"max_severity":"HIGH"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40urql%2Fcore&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (GraphQL Tools)

| Capability | Absinthe | urql |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Role | Server | Client |
| Primary language | Elixir | TypeScript |
| **Modelling** |  |  |
| Schema approach | DB introspection | - |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Federation / subgraph composition | - | - |
| **Realtime** |  |  |
| Real-time subscriptions | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Performance** |  |  |
| Response / edge caching | - | ✓ |
| **DX** |  |  |
| Typed code generation | - | - |
| **Automation** |  |  |
| Generates API from a database | - | - |
| **Security** |  |  |
| Built-in authz / permissions | - | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Official hosted offering | ✗ | - |
| Self-hostable | ✓ | - |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:47:31.347Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*