Software Alternatives & Startups

Apache Thrift VS PostGraphQL

Compare Apache Thrift VS PostGraphQL and see what are their differences

Apache Thrift

An interface definition language and communication protocol for creating cross-language services.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
PostGraphQL

Execute one command (or mount one Node.js middleware) and get an instant high-performance GraphQL API for your PostgreSQL database! - graphile/postgraphile

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source

Which is more popular?

Apache Thrift might be a bit more popular than PostGraphQL. We know about 13 links to it since March 2021 and only 10 links to PostGraphQL.

social mentions
13 vs 10
Web Servers popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
68 vs 19

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Apache Thrift
PostGraphQL
Website thrift.apache.org github.com
Pricing
Open source
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Apache Thrift 5 features
PostGraphQL 4 features
  • Cross-Language Support
    Apache Thrift supports numerous programming languages including Java, Python, C++, Ruby, and more, enabling seamless communication between services written in different languages.
  • Efficient Serialization
    Thrift offers efficient binary serialization which helps in reducing the payload size and improves the communication speed between services.
  • Service Definition Flexibility
    Thrift provides a robust interface definition language (IDL) for defining and generating code for services with strict type checking, fostering strong contract interfaces.
  • Scalability
    Due to its lightweight and efficient serialization mechanisms, Apache Thrift can handle a large number of simultaneous client connections, making it suitable for scalable distributed systems.
  • Versioning Support
    Thrift supports service versioning which helps in evolving APIs without disrupting existing services or clients.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new users, especially those not familiar with RPC frameworks, learning and understanding Thrift’s IDL and operations can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Documentation and Community Support
    Compared to some alternative technologies, Apache Thrift's documentation and community support can be less robust, which might pose challenges in troubleshooting or seeking guidance.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    Thrift does not support some advanced features like streaming or multiplexing out of the box, which could limit its use in complex systems requiring these functionalities.
  • Infrastructure Overhead
    Integrating Thrift into an existing system might introduce infrastructure overhead both in initial setup and ongoing maintenance, especially when dealing with multiple languages.
  • Protocol Limitations
    While Thrift is highly efficient, its protocol limitations might require additional workarounds for certain data structures or transport mechanisms, complicating development.
  • Automatic Schema Generation
    PostGraphQL automatically generates a GraphQL schema based on the structure and relationships within your PostgreSQL database, reducing the need for manual schema definition and maintenance.
  • Efficiency
    By leveraging PostgreSQL functions, PostGraphQL can efficiently execute complex queries directly within the database, leading to potentially faster query performance.
  • Consistent API
    The tool ensures a consistent and predictable API is generated from the database schema, which can simplify client-side development and integration.
  • Support for PostgreSQL Features
    PostGraphQL takes advantage of PostgreSQL's advanced features such as triggers, views, and stored procedures, allowing for rich and powerful API capabilities.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity with Custom Logic
    Implementing custom business logic can become complex, as it often requires embedding logic within the database using SQL or PL/pgSQL, which may not be as straightforward as writing it in a standalone application server.
  • Overhead for Simple Applications
    For simple applications with limited database interactions, PostGraphQL might introduce unnecessary complexity and overhead compared to using a traditional REST API or a simpler GraphQL server.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers unfamiliar with PostgreSQL might face a learning curve in leveraging the full capabilities of PostGraphQL, particularly if they're not accustomed to database-centric application design.
  • Tight Coupling with Database
    PostGraphQL closely ties the API design to the database schema, which may reduce flexibility in cases where the API design needs to evolve independently of the database structure.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Apache Thrift
PostGraphQL

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Apache Thrift is considered to be a good option for projects needing cross-language communication and efficient serialization. Its efficiency and wide adoption have proven it to be a reliable framework in many production environments.

Why this product is good

  • Apache Thrift is a widely used framework for scalable cross-language services development. It allows for seamless communication between programs written in different languages by providing code generation and serialization capabilities for a variety of languages. Thrift supports an efficient binary protocol and is highly customizable, making it a robust choice for services that require performance and flexibility. Additionally, it's an open-source project under the Apache Software Foundation, which ensures it has a strong community and ongoing updates.

Recommended for

  • Organizations that require cross-language service communication
  • Projects that need high-performance and low-latency data transmission
  • Developers looking for a framework with support for multiple programming languages
  • Teams looking for a customizable serialization protocol

No analysis of PostGraphQL yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Apache Thrift 1 video + Add
PostGraphQL 0 videos + Add

Apache Thrift

No PostGraphQL videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Apache Thrift
PostGraphQL
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache Thrift and PostGraphQL. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Apache Thrift 13 mentions
PostGraphQL 10 mentions
  • Show HN: TypeSchema – A JSON specification to describe data models
    I once read a paper about Apache/Meta Thrift [1,2]. It allows you to define data types/interfaces in a definition file and generate code for many programming languages. It was specifically designed for RPCs and microservices. [1]:... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Delving Deeper: Enriching Microservices with Golang with CloudWeGo
    While gRPC and Apache Thrift have served the microservice architecture well, CloudWeGo's advanced features and performance metrics set it apart as a promising open source solution for the future. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Reddit System Design/Architecture
    Services in general communicate via Thrift (and in some cases HTTP). Source: over 3 years ago

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  • Best Orm that uses Graphql and Postgres
    If you point is to abstract all the CRUD/GraphQL application, Go isn’t needed. You can go with PostgREST or Postgraphile. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Ask HN: Locally generate GraphQL schema and resolvers from DB
    What do you mean locally? Hasura is OSS, and you can run it locally (you have autogenerated SQL statements) Here you can just use Nhost and its CLI; Alternatives are https://github.com/graphile/postgraphile or dgraph as you mentioned.... - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
  • Supabase (YC S20) raises $80M Series B
    I've personally found Postgraphile to be fantastic. Nicer to use than Hasura and fully OSS: https://github.com/graphile/postgraphile/. - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

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