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Grafbase vs Sideko
Short answer: Pick Grafbase if you want enterprise-grade GraphQL federation and governance; pick Sideko if you want auto-generated SDKs & docs from OpenAPI. Grafbase has a free plan; Sideko has a free plan, paid from $400/month.
GrafbaseInstant GraphQL APIs for your data
SidekoYour API - easy to consume 😎. Generate and publish SDKs + Documentation in seconds.Which to pick
Pick Grafbase if you want…
- Enterprise-grade GraphQL federation and governance
- Open-source code (grafbase/grafbase on GitHub, MPL-2.0 license)
- Integrations with Postgres, Snowflake or Kafka (on Grafbase's list, not Sideko's)
Pick Sideko if you want…
- Auto-generated SDKs & docs from OpenAPI
- SDK generation and docs
- Integrations with Python, Typescript or Ruby (on Sideko's list, not Grafbase's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Grafbase:Grafbase provides instant, type-safe GraphQL APIs with edge deployment, federation, and AI-ready extensions.
- Sideko:Sideko generates and publishes SDKs, docs, and mock servers from OpenAPI specs in seconds.
- Best for
- Grafbase:Enterprise-grade GraphQL federation and governance
- Sideko:Auto-generated SDKs & docs from OpenAPI
- Who it’s for
- Grafbase:Engineering teams building enterprise-scale GraphQL services.
- Sideko:API product teams and developers who need fast, reliable SDKs and docs.
- Pricing
- Grafbase:Freemium
- Sideko:Freemium
- Starting price
- Grafbase:—
- Sideko:$400/month (Pro)
- Free plan or trial
- Grafbase:Free plan (Open Source) · Free trial
- Sideko:Free plan (Starter) · Free trial
- Plans
- Grafbase:Open Source Free
- Sideko:Starter $0 per month · Pro $400 per month (billed annually)
- Open source
- Grafbase:Yes, 1,229 GitHub stars
- Sideko:—
- Works with
- Grafbase:Postgres, Snowflake, Kafka, NATS, gRPC, REST, JWT
- Sideko:Python, Typescript, Ruby, Rust, Go
Grafbase features
- Rust-powered gateway. Delivers up to 40% faster response times and low CPU/memory usage.
- Federation & schema composition. Unify multiple services, databases, and APIs into a single GraphQL graph.
- AI enablement (MCP). Native support for Model Context Protocol so AI agents can query APIs in natural language.
- Extensions & custom logic. Add custom auth, authorization, and data source handling via extensions.
- Flexible hosting. Run in cloud, hybrid, or fully air-gapped on-prem environments.
- Enterprise security. Rate limiting, SAML SSO, fine-grained access control, and compliance features.
Sideko features
- SDK Generator. Creates production-ready SDKs in supported languages with tests and error handling.
- Automatic Maintenance. Detects OpenAPI changes and regenerates SDKs, docs, and tests automatically.
- API Documentation Builder. Builds interactive docs with MDX components, content spaces, and custom themes.
- Instant Mock Servers. Provides mock servers for rapid API prototyping and testing.
- OpenAPI Linting & Validation. Validates specs and reports linting issues to ensure quality.
- Enterprise Features. Includes private APIs, SSO, SOC 2 Type II compliance, and generated CLIs.
Grafbase vs Sideko FAQ
What is the difference between Grafbase and Sideko?+
Sideko generates SDKs and docs, while Grafbase offers full GraphQL federation and governance.
Should I use Grafbase or Sideko?+
Pick Grafbase if you want enterprise-grade GraphQL federation and governance, open-source code (grafbase/grafbase on GitHub, MPL-2.0 license) or integrations with Postgres, Snowflake or Kafka (on Grafbase's list, not Sideko's). Pick Sideko if you want auto-generated SDKs & docs from OpenAPI, SDK generation and docs or integrations with Python, Typescript or Ruby (on Sideko's list, not Grafbase's).
Is Grafbase or Sideko free?+
Grafbase has a free plan (Open Source) and paid plans. Sideko has a free plan (Starter); paid plans start at $400/month (Pro).
Is Grafbase or Sideko open source?+
Grafbase is open source (grafbase/grafbase on GitHub, MPL-2.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Sideko.
Do Grafbase and Sideko integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Grafbase lists Postgres, Snowflake, Kafka, NATS and 3 more; Sideko lists Python, Typescript, Ruby, Rust and 1 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.