# GraphQL Mesh vs Relay

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Relay

| Attribute | GraphQL Mesh | Relay |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 64.8 (53% (medium)) | 71.4 (57% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 71 | 72 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 519 | 76,213 |
| adoption.github_stars | 3,512 | 18,956 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | 25,987 | 5,142,504 |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open-source framework that integrates diverse data sources—REST APIs, databases, gRPC services, and other formats—into a cohesive GraphQL schema. Enables unified querying across your entire API landscape without intermediaries. | An open-source framework that enables type-safe GraphQL queries in JavaScript applications, with built-in support for caching, error handling, and server-side rendering via React Server Components. |
| features.capabilities | `{"role":"gateway","caching":true,"language":"TypeScript/JavaScript","federation":true,"self_hostable":true,"auth_directives":true,"schema_approach":"introspection","type_generation":true,"db_introspection":true}` | `{"role":"client","caching":true,"language":"JavaScript / TypeScript","federation":false,"managed_cloud":false,"self_hostable":true,"subscriptions":true,"auth_directives":false,"schema_approach":"code_first","type_generation":true,"db_introspection":false}` |
| integrations.count | 13 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"GraphQL"},{"name":"OpenAPI"},{"name":"gRPC"},{"name":"JSON Schema"},{"name":"SOAP"},{"name":"OData"},{"name":"Thrift"},{"name":"SQLite"},{"name":"MySQL"},{"name":"Neo4j"},{"name":"PostgreSQL"},{"name":"MongoDB"}]` | - |
| language.primary | TypeScript | Rust |
| license.spdx | MIT | MIT |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://www.graphql-mesh.com/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T21:32:50.033Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open-source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://relay.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T16:35:58.790Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | - | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| release.cadence_days | 4 | 47 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1787592564418","date":"2026-08-24T17:29:25Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1787592564418"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1787237191899","date":"2026-08-20T14:46:32Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1787237191899"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1786983719923","date":"2026-08-17T16:22:00Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1786983719923"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1786744190314","date":"2026-08-14T21:49:50Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1786744190314"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1786718829013","date":"2026-08-14T14:47:09Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1786718829013"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1786094925629","date":"2026-08-07T09:28:46Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1786094925629"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1785696133272","date":"2026-08-02T18:42:13Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1785696133272"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1785502342058","date":"2026-07-31T12:52:22Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1785502342058"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1781190542732","date":"2026-06-11T15:09:04Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1781190542732"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1777567793194","date":"2026-04-30T16:49:53Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1777567793194"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1776962898651","date":"2026-04-23T16:48:19Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1776962898651"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1776251230412","date":"2026-04-15T11:07:10Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1776251230412"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1776170598394","date":"2026-04-14T12:43:18Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1776170598394"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1775745444059","date":"2026-04-09T14:37:24Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1775745444059"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1775735183163","date":"2026-04-09T11:46:23Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1775735183163"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1775246671340","date":"2026-04-03T20:04:31Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1775246671340"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1775240479993","date":"2026-04-03T18:21:20Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1775240479993"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1774994064354","date":"2026-03-31T21:54:24Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1774994064354"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1774904846134","date":"2026-03-30T21:07:26Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1774904846134"},{"url":"https://github.com/ardatan/graphql-mesh/releases/tag/release-1774460385484","date":"2026-03-25T17:39:45Z","type":"stable","version":"release-1774460385484"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v21.0.1","date":"2026-05-27T17:05:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v21.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v21.0.0","date":"2026-05-18T22:35:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v21.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v20.1.1","date":"2025-08-06T23:45:00Z","type":"stable","version":"v20.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v20.1.0","date":"2025-07-28T18:02:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v20.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v20.0.0","date":"2025-06-14T01:18:21Z","type":"stable","version":"v20.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v19.0.0","date":"2025-05-02T21:35:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v19.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v18.2.0","date":"2024-11-21T18:42:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v18.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v18.1.0","date":"2024-10-04T21:25:48Z","type":"stable","version":"v18.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v18.0.0","date":"2024-09-07T01:12:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v18.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v17.0.0","date":"2024-06-14T23:56:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v17.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v16.2.0","date":"2024-01-23T16:49:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v16.1.0","date":"2023-12-11T20:21:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v16.0.0","date":"2023-10-19T22:38:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v16.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v15.0.0","date":"2023-03-08T22:16:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v15.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v14.1.0","date":"2022-07-27T17:37:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v14.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v14.0.0","date":"2022-06-08T15:11:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v14.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v13.2.0","date":"2022-03-10T18:08:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v13.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v13.1.1","date":"2022-02-09T18:02:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v13.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v13.1.0","date":"2022-02-08T16:53:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v13.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/facebook/relay/releases/tag/v13.0.3","date":"2022-02-07T21:41:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v13.0.3"}]` |
| security.scorecard | - | 5.8 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40graphql-mesh%2Fcli&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=relay-runtime&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (GraphQL Tools)

| Capability | GraphQL Mesh | Relay |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Role | Gateway / federation | Client |
| Primary language | TypeScript/JavaScript | JavaScript / TypeScript |
| **Modelling** |  |  |
| Schema approach | DB introspection | Code-first |
| **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: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:13:37.543Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*
