# Pothos vs Relay

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Relay

| Attribute | Pothos | Relay |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 60.8 (46% (low)) | 71.4 (57% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 26 | 72 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 316 | 76,213 |
| adoption.github_stars | 2,611 | 18,956 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | 487,927 | 5,142,504 |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Pothos is a GraphQL schema builder for TypeScript that emphasizes type-safety and ease of use. It features a plugin ecosystem for extending functionality while maintaining zero-overhead at runtime. | 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":"schema_builder","federation":true,"self_hostable":true,"subscriptions":true,"schema_approach":"code_first","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 | 6 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Prisma"},{"name":"NestJS"},{"name":"Next.js"},{"name":"Apollo"},{"name":"Mercurius"},{"name":"OpenTelemetry"}]` | - |
| language.primary | TypeScript | Rust |
| license.spdx | ISC | MIT |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://pothos-graphql.dev/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T09:17:12.302Z"}` | `{"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 | - | 47 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-validation%404.3.2","date":"2026-08-25T22:31:21Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-validation@4.3.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-drizzle%400.18.0","date":"2026-08-21T02:07:00Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-drizzle@0.18.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-drizzle%400.17.6","date":"2026-08-18T20:51:35Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-drizzle@0.17.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-federation%404.5.0","date":"2026-07-23T19:25:33Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-federation@4.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/tracing-xray%401.1.4","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:11Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/tracing-xray@1.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/tracing-sentry%401.1.5","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:32Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/tracing-sentry@1.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/tracing-opentelemetry%401.2.1","date":"2026-07-08T23:27:47Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/tracing-opentelemetry@1.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/tracing-newrelic%401.1.4","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:29Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/tracing-newrelic@1.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/test-utils%402.2.1","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:17Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/test-utils@2.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-zod%404.3.1","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:35Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-zod@4.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-with-input%404.1.5","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:26Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-with-input@4.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-validation%404.3.1","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:47Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-validation@4.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-tracing%401.1.3","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:14Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-tracing@1.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-sub-graph%404.5.1","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:44Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-sub-graph@4.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-smart-subscriptions%404.1.5","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:38Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-smart-subscriptions@4.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-simple-objects%404.1.4","date":"2026-07-08T23:27:53Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-simple-objects@4.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-scope-auth%404.1.7","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:20Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-scope-auth@4.1.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-relay%404.7.1","date":"2026-07-08T23:28:02Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-relay@4.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-prisma%404.15.0","date":"2026-07-08T23:27:32Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-prisma@4.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/hayes/pothos/releases/tag/%40pothos/plugin-prisma-utils%401.3.4","date":"2026-07-08T23:27:41Z","type":"stable","version":"@pothos/plugin-prisma-utils@1.3.4"}]` | `[{"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":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40pothos%2Fcore&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"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 | Pothos | Relay |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Role | Schema builder | Client |
| Primary language | - | JavaScript / TypeScript |
| **Modelling** |  |  |
| Schema approach | Code-first | 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 2026-09-01T16:54:00.453Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*