Hasura vs PostGraphile vs WunderGraph Cosmo

Architecture comparison 3 projects Built from source-audited deep dives

Hasura and PostGraphile both turn a database into a GraphQL API: Hasura with a Haskell (V2) and Rust (V3/DDN) engine and pluggable data connectors, PostGraphile by compiling a PostgreSQL schema through the Grafast planner in Node.js. WunderGraph Cosmo solves a different problem: federating many GraphQL services behind a Go router with a schema registry.

Hasura PostGraphile Cosmo (WunderGraph)

Hasura: TypeScript · Apache-2.0
PostGraphile: TypeScript · MIT
Cosmo (WunderGraph): TypeScript · Apache-2.0
Updated: 2026-09-25

Which one should you pick?

Pick Hasura if…

You want instant GraphQL and REST over several databases via data connectors
You want a managed-style engine with permissions and a console

Pick PostGraphile if…

Your data lives in PostgreSQL and you want to lean on Row-Level Security
You want a TypeScript/Node library you can embed in your own server

Pick Cosmo (WunderGraph) if…

You already have several GraphQL services and need federation
You need a schema registry, composition checks and usage analytics

Side by side

Attribute	Hasura	PostGraphile	Cosmo (WunderGraph)
Written in	TypeScript Haskell	TypeScriptPLpgSQLJavaScript	TypeScript GoHTML
License	Apache-2.0	MIT	Apache-2.0
Frontend	React	ReactGraphiQL	Next.js Radix UIGraphiQL
Backend & APIs	Haskell Rust Go GraphQL	TypeScript Node.js GraphQL	TypeScript Go ConnectRPC
Data & persistence	PostgreSQL SQLite	PostgreSQL	PostgreSQL Drizzle ClickHouse
Infrastructure & deploy	Docker CircleCI	Yarn Jest	Keycloak Docker Helm NATS
Key decisions	Two GraphQL engines, Haskell V2 and Rust V3, ship from one repository New databases plug in as out-of-process Data Connector agents The CLI is a standalone Go module, not part of either engine	Grafast operation planning replaces traditional GraphQL resolvers PostgreSQL database reflection via pg-introspection and dataplan-pg Crystal monorepo unifies core execution, plugins, and tooling	The platform is a pnpm/Turborepo-style monorepo split across TypeScript and Go workspaces Runtime traffic and control-plane management are separate services in separate languages The Controlplane schema is managed with Drizzle, not Prisma or raw SQL
Audited	17493b6 · 2026-09-17	566caa3 · 2026-09-17	26545dc · 2026-09-17

How they differ

Generating an API from a database

Hasura ships two engines from one repository and plugs new databases in as out-of-process Data Connector agents; its CLI is a separate Go module. PostGraphile introspects PostgreSQL and compiles it into a GraphQL schema executed by Grafast, which plans operations instead of running per-field resolvers, and enforces Row-Level Security inside PostgreSQL transactions. It runs on any Node HTTP framework through Grafserv adapters.

Federating services

WunderGraph Cosmo separates runtime from management: a Go router serves federated traffic, a TypeScript control plane (Drizzle on PostgreSQL) manages the schema registry, a Go service writes usage analytics to ClickHouse, and Keycloak handles auth. Services talk over ConnectRPC.

Architecture diagrams

Hasura Open SVG

PostGraphile Open SVG

Cosmo (WunderGraph) Open SVG

Frequently asked questions

Is Hasura written in Haskell or Rust?

Both. The Hasura repository ships the mature GraphQL Engine V2 in Haskell and the newer V3 engine behind Hasura DDN in Rust.

Is WunderGraph Cosmo an alternative to Hasura?

Only partly. Hasura and PostGraphile generate a GraphQL API from a database, while Cosmo federates existing GraphQL services behind a router and manages their schemas.

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