Apollo GraphQL vs GitLab Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Apollo GraphQL | GitLab | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $5/mo | $29/mo |
| Number of plans | 4 | 3 |
| Free plan | ||
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | usage-based | per-seat |
Free
- GraphOS - Apollo's complete API management platform
- Supports any GraphQL API
- Self-hosted GraphOS Router (limited to 60 requests per minute)
- Built-in support for GraphQL Federation, Connectors, Response Caching, Federated Subscriptions, and more.
Developer
- GraphOS - Apollo's complete API management platform
- Supports any GraphQL API
- Self-hosted GraphOS Router
- Built-in support for GraphQL Federation, Connectors, Response Caching, Federated Subscriptions, and more.
Standard
- GraphOS - Apollo's complete API management platform
- Supports any GraphQL API
- Self-hosted GraphOS Router
- Built-in support for GraphQL Federation, Connectors, Response Caching, Federated Subscriptions, and more.
- Schema Proposals - Collaboration and approval workflows
- Single sign-on (SSO)
Enterprise
- GraphOS - Apollo's complete API management platform
- Supports any GraphQL API
- Self-hosted GraphOS Router
- Built-in support for GraphQL Federation, Connectors, Response Caching, Federated Subscriptions, and more.
- Schema Proposals - Collaboration and approval workflows
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Audit logging
- Custom MSA
- (Add-on) Premium Support Packages
- (Add-on) Professional Services Packages
Free
- 5 users per top-level group
- 400 compute minutes per month
- Source Code Management & CI/CD
- 10 GiB adjustable storage
- Static Application Security Testing
Premium
Popular- Unlimited licensed users
- 10,000 compute minutes per month
- Advanced CI/CD
- Team Project Management
- SLA Management
- Priority Support
Ultimate
- Unlimited guest users
- 50,000 compute minutes per month
- Application Security Testing
- Software Supply Chain Security
- Vulnerability Management
- Strategic Portfolio Management
- Value Stream Management
- Compliance and Governance
Apollo GraphQL vs GitLab FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Apollo GraphQL starts lower at $5/mo, compared to $29/mo for GitLab.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Both offer free plans, so you can try each without paying. Start with whichever fits your workflow better and upgrade when you hit the limits.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. Apollo GraphQL uses usage-based pricing, while GitLab goes with per-seat. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Apollo GraphQL: They're positioned as the accessible entry point into GraphQL federation tooling — $5/mo to start is nearly frictionless compared to enterprise API management suites that require sales calls from day one. The custom-priced tiers exist to compete for platform-level deals against players like Postman or enterprise API gateways once volume and compliance needs escalate. GitLab: GitLab plays the consolidator card — it's not the cheapest per-seat option against plain GitHub, but it's pitching itself as the all-in-one alternative to stitching together separate CI/CD, security, and PM tools. The custom-quote Ultimate tier is a classic enterprise move: hide the number, let sales control the negotiation, and target the buyers who'd otherwise be evaluating GitHub Enterprise or a patchwork of DevOps point solutions.
Still deciding? See the best Apollo GraphQL alternatives or the best GitLab alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
Keep tabs on both.
We'll monitor pricing changes for Apollo GraphQL and GitLab and let you know when something moves. See how competitor pricing monitoring works.