# Hasura vs DreamFactory

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/compare/hasura-vs-dreamfactory/

Every value below is read from Hasura's and DreamFactory's own documentation. See https://inetgeek.com/methodology/ for how.

## At a glance

| Criterion | Hasura | DreamFactory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| What the free plan includes | Unlimited models at any scale, one supergraph developer, and 15 minutes of observability retention. API requests per month and concurrent API users are both listed as no limit. | The open-source edition, described as being for hands-on learning, personal projects and early-stage development, with the PostgreSQL database connector. |
| Entry paid plan | DDN Base starts at $5 per active model per month — a per-model rate rather than a plan fee, so no magnitude is recorded. Hosting third-party and code connectors is separate, at $0.075/vCPU-hour and $0.0075/GiB-hour. | $1,500/month for DF Linux Lite, billed annually — no monthly-billing rate is published. It includes a single connector of your choice and unlimited roles, keys, API creation and API requests. |
| Pricing model | Per active model, per month, with connector hosting billed separately by vCPU-hour and GiB-hour. API requests and concurrent users are not metered. | Flat annual plans bounded by how many connectors you may use, not by requests: the entry paid tier states unlimited roles, keys, API creation and API requests against a single connector. |
| Self-hostable | Supported | Supported |

## Where they differ

### What the free plan includes

- Hasura: Unlimited models at any scale, one supergraph developer, and 15 minutes of observability retention. API requests per month and concurrent API users are both listed as no limit. ([source](https://hasura.io/pricing))
- DreamFactory: The open-source edition, described as being for hands-on learning, personal projects and early-stage development, with the PostgreSQL database connector. ([source](https://www.dreamfactory.com/pricing/))

### Entry paid plan

- Hasura: DDN Base starts at $5 per active model per month — a per-model rate rather than a plan fee, so no magnitude is recorded. Hosting third-party and code connectors is separate, at $0.075/vCPU-hour and $0.0075/GiB-hour. ([source](https://hasura.io/pricing))
- DreamFactory: $1,500/month for DF Linux Lite, billed annually — no monthly-billing rate is published. It includes a single connector of your choice and unlimited roles, keys, API creation and API requests. ([source](https://www.dreamfactory.com/pricing/))

### Pricing model

- Hasura: Per active model, per month, with connector hosting billed separately by vCPU-hour and GiB-hour. API requests and concurrent users are not metered. ([source](https://hasura.io/pricing))
- DreamFactory: Flat annual plans bounded by how many connectors you may use, not by requests: the entry paid tier states unlimited roles, keys, API creation and API requests against a single connector. ([source](https://www.dreamfactory.com/pricing/))

## Which should you choose?

Pick Hasura if Putting one GraphQL API over several data sources at once when the free tier's terms matter more than the paid one's: unlimited models at any scale, no cap on API requests or concurrent users, and self-hosting with the v3 engine, all at $0.

Pick DreamFactory if Generating REST APIs across a mixed estate — databases, file stores, SaaS and SOAP — behind one contract, self-hosted, with role-based access control and API key management included from the entry paid tier.

Consider something else: Hasura — The bill has to be predictable before you design the schema. Hasura charges $5 per active model per month, so cost scales with how wide your supergraph is rather than how much traffic it serves, and connector hosting is billed separately by vCPU-hour on top.

Consider something else: DreamFactory — The entry price is the constraint. DF Linux Lite is $1,500 a month billed annually with no monthly-billing rate published and a single connector of your choice; the open-source edition is free but ships the PostgreSQL connector only.

## Documented by only one

- Autoscaling: Hasura: Supported
- SOC 2: Hasura: Supported
- Role-based access control: DreamFactory: Role-based access control is listed as included from DF Linux Lite ($1,500/month) upward, alongside API key management and API scripting.

## Questions this comparison answers

**Entry paid plan: Hasura or DreamFactory?**

Hasura: DDN Base starts at $5 per active model per month — a per-model rate rather than a plan fee, so no magnitude is recorded. Hosting third-party and code connectors is separate, at $0.075/vCPU-hour and $0.0075/GiB-hour.
DreamFactory: $1,500/month for DF Linux Lite, billed annually — no monthly-billing rate is published. It includes a single connector of your choice and unlimited roles, keys, API creation and API requests.

**Should I choose Hasura or DreamFactory?**

Pick Hasura if Putting one GraphQL API over several data sources at once when the free tier's terms matter more than the paid one's: unlimited models at any scale, no cap on API requests or concurrent users, and self-hosting with the v3 engine, all at $0.
Pick DreamFactory if Generating REST APIs across a mixed estate — databases, file stores, SaaS and SOAP — behind one contract, self-hosted, with role-based access control and API key management included from the entry paid tier.