AWS AppSync Reviews

What is our primary use case?

We require our frontend and multiple frontends to communicate with the backend via GraphQL. GraphQL, provides a lot of flexibility in terms of data retrieval and data manipulation, allowing you to get exactly the data you need, nothing more, nothing less.  We require our frontend, mobile or web frontend to communicate with the backend, and many other APIs through GraphQL. At that level, AppSync, like an API gateway, is capable of sourcing data from multiple data sources. It can provide you with the GraphQL endpoint. As a result, you won't have to write any additional backend code. Transitioning from a server-based to a serverless architecture is relatively simple, and very fast.

What is most valuable?

It has the ability to connect to virtually any type of data source, whether it's a database, an API, or an old-school XML-based data source.  Support for multiple data sources and formats is a fantastic feature. I believe it is adequate, and I would say that it is a very innovative solution.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have the ability to run AppSync on-premises. It is entirely AWS at the moment. If you wanted to switch from AWS to Google Cloud or Azure, you can't. You are experiencing significant vendor lock-in. Moving to other clouds is impossible without significantly rearchitecting your applications.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with AWS AppSync for six years. We are working with the most recent version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

AWS AppSync is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Although AWS AppSync is scalable, it does have some performance limitations. We don't have many users right now. It would be close to 100 users, which isn't too many. However, we will be launching our product very soon. We anticipate that the number of users will increase to a couple of hundred.

How are customer service and support?

We did not need to contact AWS support. I am unable to comment. However, in general, AWS's technical support is excellent. So I'm not going to complain.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was completed by an in-house team. There is almost no maintenance. The developer's skillset alone needs to be good enough. It requires some expertise. Not everyone can use it without learning.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis, and it is a pay-as-you-go model. Fees are paid per usage. There are no fixed costs. They won't charge us anything if we don't use it.

What other advice do I have?

People who are using other clouds will be unable to use them. However, it can be used by those with GraphQL. It is relevant to those considering serverless architecture.  It is not a great fit for someone with a server-based backend they will find it difficult to adapt, and it will increase their maintenance overhead. I would rate AWS AppSync a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud