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.
Pothos pricing
We don't have Pothos's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
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
- -
- 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
- ✓
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- Web
- Self-hosted
Integrations (6)
Independently observed- Prisma
- NestJS
- Next.js
- Apollo
- Mercurius
- OpenTelemetry
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
Pothos FAQ
Common questions about Pothos, answered from independent, dated evidence.
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. It is indexed under GraphQL Tools.
Source: https://pothos-graphql.dev/
Is Pothos free to use?
Pothos is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the ISC licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.
Source: https://pothos-graphql.dev/
What platforms does Pothos support?
Pothos supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Source: https://pothos-graphql.dev/
Can Pothos be self-hosted?
Yes. Pothos can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
Source: https://pothos-graphql.dev/
What does Pothos integrate with?
We have confirmed 6 integrations for Pothos, including Prisma, NestJS, Next.js, Apollo, Mercurius and OpenTelemetry. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.
Source: https://pothos-graphql.dev/
Is Pothos open source?
Yes. Pothos is published under the ISC 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/hayes/pothos
Pothos alternatives
Other graphql tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- RelayA GraphQL client library that automatically manages data fetching, mutations, and real-time updates for client-side applications.medium · 59%
- WunderGraphAn open-source federation platform for building and managing GraphQL APIs at scalemedium · 69%
- Strawberry GraphQLA Python framework for building GraphQL server applicationsmedium · 65%
- Apollo GraphQLJavaScript server for building GraphQL APIsmedium · 59%
- StellateEdge-based GraphQL API platform with caching, rate limiting, and real-time analyticsmedium · 73%
- GraphQL MeshA GraphQL gateway framework that unifies multiple data sources and APIs into a single queryable GraphQL interface.medium · 57%
Compare Pothos
Side by side against other graphql tools, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI 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 | 70 | 0.17 | 12.1 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 75 | 0.08 | 6.2 | ✓ |
| Development activity | 50 | 0.12 | 6.0 | ✓ |
| Dependent projects | 42 | 0.08 | 3.3 | ✓ |
| Stars | 65 | 0.03 | 2.1 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 24 | 0.05 | 1.3 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 0 | 0.07 | 0.0 | - |
| Security posture | 0 | 0.09 | 0.0 | - |
| Security score | 0 | 0.05 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.08 | 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 | 37 | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 6 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 67% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Role: schema_builder · Federation: Yes · Self hostable: Yes · Subscriptions: Yes · Schema approach: code_first · Type generation: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 6 | mediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | TypeScript | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | ISC | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 99% |
Pricing
Release
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| History | 20 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 70% |
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40pothos%2Fcore&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 90% |
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