top of page

Hasura Alternative: BLOX versus Hasura

hadi254

Hasura Alternative
Hasura Alternative

First, we'd like to thank Hasura for what they are doing in the API space. It's a great company and an inspiration for us all. But if you're here, searching for Hasura alternative, we bet it's because you are looking for much more things a backend builder can offer.


In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses and developers alike are constantly searching for efficient tools to build robust applications. Two platforms that stand out in this space, albeit for different reasons, are BLOX and Hasura. Both are designed to simplify the development process, but they approach this goal from different angles. BLOX, a no-code platform, empowers visual developers to create full-stack applications without writing a single line of code, combining features such as data schema building, workflow automation, business logic and document management. On the other hand, Hasura is a developer-centric tool that focuses on providing instant GraphQL APIs over existing databases, enabling rapid backend development with real-time data synchronization. While both platforms aim to streamline the application-building process, they cater to distinct user bases—BLOX for citizen developers looking for a complete development environment, and Hasura for technical developers focused on backend architecture. In this article, we will explore the core features of both platforms, highlighting their unique strengths, and delve into the key differences that make each suitable for different types of projects.


BLOX Overview, a Hasura Alternative


BLOX is a no-code platform designed for visual developers, offering a rich suite of tools to manage, automate, and scale applications without writing code. Its core strength lies in its broad functionality across various domains, such as database schema management, workflows, and custom application logic. BLOX’s emphasis on reusability and integration, along with enterprise-grade features, makes it ideal for rapidly building business applications with minimal developer input.


BLOX Key Features:


  • Visual Data Schema Builder: Define entities, relationships, and data models using a no-code interface.

  • Queries & Mutations Builder: Interact with APIs, databases, and GraphQL endpoints for complex data management.

  • Enterprise Workflows Builder: Automate operations, triggers, and integrations across third-party services.

  • Built-in Notifications & Scheduling: Use templates and APIs for in-app notifications and set up events for tasks like payments, analytics, or emails.

  • Custom Logic and Reusable Components: BLOX enables advanced logic building without code using loops, conditions, and reusable components.

  • Access Control & Security: Fine-grained RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) ensures secure access to application data.

  • Built-In API Generation & Documentation: Automatically create and document APIs alongside the application’s logic.


BLOX’s emphasis on application logic building and visual components applies primarily to business applications, automation, and customer-facing workflows.


Hasura Overview:


Hasura is a specialized platform for managing real-time GraphQL APIs over PostgreSQL databases. Its focus is on providing developers with an instant, high-performance API layer that includes authentication, role-based permissions, and built-in security measures. This tool is widely adopted for creating APIs rapidly, integrating with multiple services, and providing fine-grained control over data access.


Hasura Key Features:


  • Instant GraphQL APIs: Automatically generate APIs from any PostgreSQL schema, cutting down development time drastically.

  • Real-time Data: Built-in support for GraphQL subscriptions allows for real-time data synchronization.

  • Remote Joins and Actions: Extend the default functionality with custom business logic through REST endpoints or remote joins to link multiple databases or services.

  • Advanced Permissions: Fine-grained role-based access control at both schema and field levels, allowing detailed permission management.

  • Built-in Observability: Monitoring tools to track the performance and health of APIs in production environments.

  • Security: SQL injection protection, CSRF protection, and JWT/webhook-based authentication ensure robust security out of the box.


Hasura’s strength lies in speed and flexibility for developers needing high-performance APIs without compromising on security or scalability. It shines in applications where real-time data and advanced access control are critical.


Comparing BLOX and Hasura:


1. Target Audience and Use Case:


  • BLOX: Primarily targets citizen and visual developers and technical users who don't have time to custom code. It’s ideal for creating full-stack business applications with drag-and-drop components, integrating data, workflows, and database design in one platform.

  • Hasura: Targets developers who need to manage complex databases and create real-time, scalable APIs. It’s focused on back-end tasks, providing fine-grained control over API access and security, making it great for applications that heavily rely on APIs and real-time data handling.


2. Development Approach:


  • BLOX: A visual, no-code platform that allows for complete application development, including database, workflows, and business logic. It abstracts almost all technical complexities, allowing non-developers to build sophisticated apps.

  • Hasura: A developer-focused tool designed for rapid API creation using an existing database schema. Developers still need to handle the application’s front end and business logic outside Hasura, making it a more back-end-oriented tool.


3. Custom Logic and Extensibility:


  • BLOX: Supports the creation of complex application logic through reusable components, formulas, filters, loops, and conditional statements. Its no-code approach makes it more accessible for users without coding knowledge.

  • Hasura: Offers extensibility through custom business logic via remote joins and actions. While powerful, these require coding knowledge, making it more flexible for developers who want to integrate external services but less friendly for non-technical users.


4. Security and Permissions:


  • BLOX: Provides field-level access control, RBAC, and detailed auditing features. It integrates seamlessly with identity providers and SSO services to provide enterprise-grade security.

  • Hasura: Delivers robust security out of the box, with features like role-based permissions, JWT authentication, and fine-grained data access control at the API level. It is tailored for developers who need detailed permission structures for API interactions.


5. Deployment and Scalability:


  • BLOX: Allows for flexible hosting options, version control, and deployment management, making it easier for users to scale their applications from development to production with minimal friction.

  • Hasura: Supports both cloud and self-hosted options with enterprise features like VPC peering and SSO for custom plans. Hasura's real-time capabilities make it highly scalable for applications needing instant data synchronization.


How BLOX is Different from Hasura:


While both BLOX and Hasura cater to different needs in the application development ecosystem, they stand apart based on several key factors related to their core features, target audience, and overall approach. Below are the primary distinctions between the two:


1. Audience & Approach:


  • BLOX: BLOX targets visual developers and citizen developers, emphasizing a no-code/low-code approach. The platform provides a highly intuitive interface for building complete applications from databases, workflows, and APIs to notification design and deployment—all without writing code.

  • Hasura: Hasura, on the other hand, is aimed at backend developers who need a fast and efficient way to generate GraphQL APIs over their existing databases. It requires technical expertise to fully leverage its capabilities and doesn’t focus on front-end or UI building.


2. Core Focus:


  • BLOX: BLOX is a full-stack no-code development platform. It allows users to not only manage their databases but also build out the infrastructure, business logic, and workflows for an entire application. The platform provides drag-and-drop tools for building everything from forms and dashboards to notifications, workflows, and document management.

  • Hasura: Hasura’s core focus is on providing real-time GraphQL APIs over databases like PostgreSQL. It primarily handles data access and manipulation through APIs, without providing a no-code UI layer. Users must manage the front-end and logic outside of Hasura, making it more of a backend solution.


3. Workflow Automation & Application Logic:


  • BLOX: BLOX excels in workflow automation through its Enterprise Workflows Builder. Users can automate complex workflows such as sending notifications, running analytics, and managing payments—all without writing code. Its Application Logic Builder allows for the creation of reusable logic blocks, formulas, and conditions, which simplify the process of building sophisticated automation.

  • Hasura: Hasura, while offering some level of automation through event triggers and actions, does not have as robust an infrastructure for workflow automation. It’s more focused on extending the functionality of APIs rather than creating complex, visual workflows.


4. Database & API Management:


  • BLOX: With BLOX, users can build and manage data schemas, including defining tables, entities, and their relationships, all through a visual schema builder. It also generates APIs automatically as part of the overall application-building process and provides built-in documentation for these APIs.

  • Hasura: Hasura excels in GraphQL API generation, instantly exposing APIs for PostgreSQL databases. It includes real-time data synchronization, remote joins, and advanced GraphQL capabilities, which BLOX does not specialize in. Hasura does not, however, provide schema-building capabilities through a visual interface—it relies on the database schema you provide.


5. Custom Business Logic & Extensibility:


  • BLOX: Allows for the integration of custom logic using pre-built components and a no-code logic builder. Users can combine reusable components to create intricate, condition-based flows.

  • Hasura: While Hasura supports custom business logic through actions that integrate REST endpoints and remote joins, this requires writing code. This feature is geared toward developers comfortable with coding, unlike BLOX, which provides these capabilities in a no-code format.


6. Security & Access Control:


  • BLOX: BLOX offers a granular RBAC system with field-level permissions, giving users fine-grained control over who can access or manipulate data within an application. It integrates with SSO and leading identity providers, ensuring enterprise-grade security across the stack.

  • Hasura: Similarly, Hasura provides fine-grained role-based access control at the API level, allowing developers to set permissions for individual fields and operations. However, its security features are more focused on the API layer, whereas BLOX covers both API and application security within its platform.


7. Built-in Tools & Debugging:


  • BLOX: BLOX provides a set of debugging tools to track execution flows and troubleshoot issues. It also has built-in version control for tracking changes in applications and databases and supports application monitoring for performance optimization.

  • Hasura: Hasura supports migrations and metadata management via its CLI, but debugging and version control are more oriented around database schemas and API performance, not the broader application environment like BLOX.


8. Real-time Data & Subscriptions:

  • BLOX: While BLOX supports complex data queries and manipulation, it does not specialize in real-time data features like Hasura. It is more focused on building business workflows and applications with static or dynamically queried data.

  • Hasura: Hasura is renowned for its real-time data capabilities, with built-in support for GraphQL subscriptions that allow applications to receive live updates. This feature is a significant differentiator for applications requiring real-time data streaming.


9. Extending to External Services:


  • BLOX: BLOX provides connectors for various third-party services, databases, and APIs, allowing users to integrate external services into their applications with no-code tools.

  • Hasura: Hasura’s remote schemas and actions enable users to extend their GraphQL API with external services, but this requires a more developer-oriented approach to set up and manage.


Conclusion


Both BLOX and Hasura are powerful platforms with distinct focuses. BLOX is better suited for no-code application building that covers end-to-end development, from database design to logic automation. On the other hand, Hasura excels as a GraphQL engine for developers who need high-performance APIs and fine-grained control over data access, particularly in projects where real-time capabilities are essential.


If your focus is on rapid prototyping and full-stack application development, BLOX would likely be the better option. However, if you need to build real-time applications or integrate multiple databases via a GraphQL API, Hasura would be the more suitable choice. Here's a summary of the key differences:


  • Development Paradigm: BLOX is a no-code platform designed for end-to-end application development, while Hasura focuses on generating real-time GraphQL APIs for developers.

  • Application Building: BLOX includes tools for database design, workflow automation, and custom logic without writing code. Hasura specializes in data and API management, leaving front-end development to the user.

  • Automation: BLOX offers a broader scope of automation tools for enterprise workflows and application logic, while Hasura automates API generation and manages event-driven back-end logic.

  • Real-time Features: Hasura excels in real-time data synchronization, a feature BLOX does not prioritize.


Tags:

5 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

コメント


Stay up to date with the latest No-code trends. Subscribe Now!

Thanks for submitting!

© 2024, BLOX, All Rights Reserved.

  • Grey Twitter Icon
bottom of page