Hasura vs ShapedQL: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Hasura and ShapedQL side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Hasura
Instant GraphQL APIs on your databases
Best for you if:
- • You want instant GraphQL APIs
ShapedQL
The real-time retrieval engine for search, feeds, and AI agents, powered by a SQL interface.
Best for you if:
- • You want familiar SQL syntax reduces learning curve for developers
| At a Glance | ||
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $5/mo, billed monthly DDN Base plan | Free plan |
Category | Data & Databases API Tools | Data & Databases GraphQL Tools |
Rating | 4.7/5 G2 4.7 26 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | Potential overage fees on Free Tier |
Choose Hasura or ShapedQL?
Choose Hasura if
- You want instant GraphQL APIs
- You want real-time subscriptions
Choose ShapedQL if
- You want familiar SQL syntax reduces learning curve for developers
- You want unifies search and recommendation retrieval into a single query layer
In-Depth Analysis
Hasura
Instant GraphQL APIs on your databases
Hasura's DDN Free tier is generous, offering unlimited models and API requests, making it highly accessible for individual developers.
Strengths
- Pro: Instant GraphQL APIs
- Pro: Real-time subscriptions
- Pro: Authorization built-in
- Pro: Good performance
- Pro: Open source core
Weaknesses
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: PostgreSQL focused
- Con: Cloud expensive
- Con: Complex for simple needs
- Con: Vendor lock-in risk
Key features
ShapedQL
The real-time retrieval engine for search, feeds, and AI agents, powered by a SQL interface.
The pricing for ShapedQL is currently incomplete, making a full assessment difficult.
Watch out
Potential overage fees on Free Tier
Strengths
- Pro: Familiar SQL syntax reduces learning curve for developers
- Pro: Unifies search and recommendation retrieval into a single query layer
- Pro: Real-time performance optimized for production workloads
- Pro: Purpose-built for AI agent and recommendation system use cases
Weaknesses
- Con: Tightly coupled with Shaped platform, not a standalone tool
- Con: New query language with a small community and limited third-party resources
- Con: May be overkill for simple search implementations
Key features
Plans and prices: Hasura vs ShapedQL
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hasura |
| hasura.io/pricing read Nov 2, 2026 |
| ShapedQL |
| shaped.ai read Oct 13, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Hasura pricing and ShapedQL pricing.
Key Takeaways
Hasura
- Choose if you want instant GraphQL APIs on your databases
ShapedQL
- Choose if you want the real-time retrieval engine for search, feeds, and AI agents, powered by a SQL interface
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Hasura has a published user rating (4.7/5 from 26 reviews); ShapedQL has none we can show.
- Hasura starts at $5/mo, billed monthly; ShapedQL has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Hasura and ShapedQL compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Hasura has a published user rating (4.7/5 from 26 reviews); ShapedQL has none we can show. Hasura starts at $5/mo, billed monthly; ShapedQL has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Hasura and ShapedQL used for?
Hasura: Instant GraphQL APIs on your databases. ShapedQL: The real-time retrieval engine for search, feeds, and AI agents, powered by a SQL interface.
What does Hasura cost vs ShapedQL?
Hasura's cheapest paid plan is DDN Base at $5/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. ShapedQL has no public paid-plan price on file. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 2, 2026.
What's the main difference between Hasura and ShapedQL?
Hasura's main strength: instant GraphQL APIs. ShapedQL's main strength: familiar SQL syntax reduces learning curve for developers.