PostGraphile

PostGraphile generates a complete, production-ready GraphQL API directly from a PostgreSQL database schema. Point it at a Postgres connection string and it introspects the tables, views, functions, and relationships, then exposes them as a fully-typed GraphQL API — automatically handling queries, mutations, subscriptions, pagination, and filtering without a single resolver.

The v5 release (built on the Grafast planning engine) compiles GraphQL operations into highly optimised SQL, eliminating N+1 query problems and delivering throughput of 500–1500 requests per second on a single server. PostgreSQL's own RBAC and row-level security are surfaced directly as API-level access control, meaning security rules defined in the database are enforced automatically without duplicating logic in the API layer.

The plugin architecture allows deep customisation: you can extend the auto-generated schema with custom resolvers, add computed columns, expose stored procedures as mutations, and override any part of the schema or server behaviour. The Graphile ecosystem also includes Graphile Worker (a PostgreSQL-backed job queue) and Graphile Migrate (a migration tool), making it practical to build a full backend on top of PostgreSQL with minimal infrastructure.

The core library is free and MIT-licensed; a Pro plugin pack ($25/month) adds query cost protection and read-replica support for high-scale production deployments. Because all schema logic lives in the database, there is no vendor lock-in — migrating away leaves your PostgreSQL schema intact.