What is Pothos?
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.
What Pothos does
The capabilities that matter for graphql tools, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Role
- Schema builder
- Primary language
- TypeScript
- Schema approach
- Code-first
- Federation / subgraph composition
- -
- Real-time subscriptions
- ✓
- Response / edge caching
- -
- Typed code generation
- ✗
- Generates API from a database
- -
- Built-in authz / permissions
- ✓
- Official hosted offering
- -
- Self-hostable
- ✓
Pothos alternatives
Other graphql tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- RelayThe GraphQL client that scales with you.low · 39%
- Strawberry GraphQLA modern GraphQL library for Pythonlow · 35%
- HasuraCreator of PromptQL, Data Delivery Network & GraphQL Enginelow · 31%
- GraphQL MeshUnify your API landscape with Mesh's federated architecture, integrating any API service into a cohesive graph.low · 38%
- WunderGraphGraphQL Federation, built to governmedium · 58%
- PostGraphileBuilds a powerful, extensible and performant GraphQL API from a PostgreSQL schema in secondslow · 34%
The Vioscale score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for Pothos, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package Downloads | 72 | 26.00 | 1872.0 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 58 | 16.00 | 925.0 | ✓ |
| Github Activity | 36 | 18.00 | 649.5 | ✓ |
| Github Stars | 65 | 5.00 | 322.3 | ✓ |
| Price Level | 0 | 6.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Reliability | 0 | 8.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Integrations | 0 | 8.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Release Cadence | 0 | 10.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Security Posture | 0 | 13.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Pricing Transparency | 0 | 8.00 | 0.0 | - |
| Stackoverflow Activity | 0 | 12.00 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 13 | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 65% |
Adoption
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | {"role":"schema_builder","language":"TypeScript","self_hostable":true,"subscriptions":true,"auth_directives":true,"schema_approach":"code_first","type_generation":false} | mediumsource · 2026-08-03 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | TypeScript | highsource · 2026-08-03 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | ISC | highsource · 2026-08-03 · 99% |
Pricing
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Model | commercial | lowsource · 2026-08-03 · 40% |