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Alok Deep
Alok Deep

Posted on Originally published at getapexcache.com

Stellate vs. ApexCache: Beyond GraphQL Caching

#graphql #api #architecture #performance

GraphQL adoption has grown dramatically across modern web and mobile applications. As GraphQL backends scale, managing query complexity and resolver execution costs becomes a primary engineering challenge.

Stellate (formerly GraphCDN) pioneered dedicated GraphQL edge caching, providing normalized caching and schema-aware invalidation for GraphQL endpoints.

However, modern engineering backends are rarely pure GraphQL. In production, engineering stacks almost always operate a hybrid architecture:

  • GraphQL for complex frontend data trees
  • REST endpoints for third-party integrations, mobile webhooks, and file uploads
  • Internal microservices communicating via JSON over HTTP

Here is an architectural comparison between GraphQL-only caching proxies and unified edge gateways like ApexCache.

1. Unified REST + GraphQL Caching

  • Stellate: Focuses exclusively on GraphQL APIs. If your stack includes REST endpoints (e.g. /api/v1/auth, /api/v1/webhooks, /api/v1/products), you must maintain a separate caching and routing infrastructure for REST.
  • ApexCache: Provides a unified edge gateway supporting REST, GraphQL (AST body parsing & automatic query hashing), and microservice APIs under a single DNS hostname and control plane.

2. Invalidation: Mutation Sniffing vs. Real Database CDC

  • In Stellate: Invalidation primarily relies on intercepting GraphQL mutation operations returned through the proxy, or dispatching manual purge requests via the Stellate Invalidation API.
  • In ApexCache: In addition to mutation detection and webhook purges, ApexCache connects directly to your database transaction log (PostgreSQL WAL, MySQL binlog, MongoDB Change Streams) via Change Data Capture (CDC). Direct database updates (cron jobs, admin scripts, direct SQL migrations) automatically invalidate cache tags across global edge nodes in under 10ms.

3. Enterprise In-VPC & Air-Gapped Deployment

  • Stellate: Primarily hosted as a managed cloud SaaS platform.
  • ApexCache: Offers both a global SaaS edge network and Enterprise In-VPC Self-Hosting, allowing regulated healthcare, fintech, and government organizations to deploy air-gapped Docker proxy containers inside private AWS, GCP, or Azure VPCs.

Feature Comparison: Stellate vs. ApexCache

Dimension Stellate ApexCache
API Protocol Support GraphQL only Unified REST, GraphQL & Microservices
Request Coalescing Yes (GraphQL) Yes (SingleFlight across REST & GraphQL)
Database Sync Manual Purge API & Mutations Real-Time Database CDC (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Mongo)
In-VPC Self-Hosting Limited / Enterprise Cloud Full Air-Gapped In-VPC Docker Deployment
Developer Tier Usage-based tier 100,000 requests/month free on Developer tier

Conclusion

If your application architecture is 100% GraphQL and you only require managed cloud caching, Stellate provides a dedicated GraphQL solution.

If your backend is a hybrid environment utilizing both REST and GraphQL, or if you require direct database CDC invalidation and self-hosted In-VPC deployment options, ApexCache provides a unified, higher-throughput edge infrastructure.

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