# Grafbase **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/grafbase **Vertical:** Developer Tools **Subcategory:** GraphQL Platform **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** grafbase.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Grafbase is a globally distributed GraphQL platform for building and deploying data APIs with edge caching, real-time subscriptions, and a schema-first developer workflow. ## Company Overview Grafbase is a globally distributed GraphQL platform that enables developers to build, deploy, and serve data APIs at the edge without managing API servers or database infrastructure. The platform uses a schema-first development model — developers define their data models and resolvers in a GraphQL SDL configuration file, and Grafbase automatically provisions the backend storage, generates the API, and deploys it to a globally distributed edge network. This approach eliminates the infrastructure setup typically required to launch a GraphQL API and makes it possible to go from schema definition to a globally available endpoint in minutes. The platform includes built-in support for database-backed models, custom resolvers written as edge functions, real-time subscriptions, and a permission system that enforces field-level access control based on authentication state. Grafbase's edge deployment model means API requests are handled at points of presence close to users rather than in a single cloud region, reducing latency for globally distributed applications. The platform integrates with existing authentication providers including Clerk, Auth0, and NextAuth, allowing teams to add Grafbase to applications that already have an identity layer. Grafbase targets frontend engineers and full-stack developers building modern web applications with frameworks like Next.js and SvelteKit who want a GraphQL API layer that matches the edge-first deployment model of their frontend. It competes with Hasura, Supabase, and AWS AppSync for managed GraphQL API platforms, differentiating through its edge-native deployment model, its schema-first DX, and its focus on the developer experience of teams working in the JavaScript and TypeScript ecosystem. The company was acquired by Grafana Labs, which has expanded Grafbase's reach within Grafana's large developer user base. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How does Grafbase's edge deployment differ from a traditional API server? Grafbase deploys your GraphQL API to a globally distributed edge network, so requests are handled at the point of presence nearest to the user rather than routing to a single cloud region — reducing latency for international users without requiring multi-region infrastructure management. ### What is Grafbase and what problem does it solve? Grafbase is a globally distributed GraphQL platform that eliminates the infrastructure work of deploying and scaling a GraphQL API. Developers define their schema and resolvers, and Grafbase automatically provisions storage, deploys to an edge network, and handles all API serving. ### How does Grafbase differ from Hasura? Hasura auto-generates a GraphQL API from an existing database. Grafbase is schema-first and edge-deployed, designed for new APIs that need global low latency without managing infrastructure. Grafbase includes built-in storage rather than requiring a separate database. ### Does Grafbase support custom resolvers for complex business logic? Yes. Grafbase supports edge functions written in TypeScript as custom resolvers that run at the edge alongside the API, allowing business logic to be co-located with data handling for minimum latency. ### Is Grafbase open source? Grafbase has open-sourced its local development gateway and CLI tooling. The managed cloud deployment platform is a commercial service. Teams develop and test locally with the open-source CLI and deploy to Grafbase Cloud for production. ### Does Grafbase support federated GraphQL? Yes. Grafbase supports GraphQL federation, allowing organizations to compose a unified API from multiple subgraph services, making it suitable for microservice architectures where different teams own different parts of the graph. ### How does Grafbase handle caching for GraphQL queries? Grafbase provides edge-level caching for GraphQL queries, allowing teams to define cache rules that store query results at the nearest edge location and serve subsequent requests without hitting the resolver layer, dramatically improving performance for read-heavy queries. ### What is the Grafbase pricing model? Grafbase offers a free tier for development and small-scale APIs. Pro plans are usage-based on request volume and edge computing resources. Enterprise plans with custom limits and SLAs are available for production workloads with high traffic requirements. ## Tags developer-tools, open-source, saas, b2b, startup, platform, infrastructure, cloud-native, api-first --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*