Crates / Compare / tower vs async-graphql
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 27, 2026
tower vs async-graphql
Short answerBy steady daily use, tower is bigger: 2,342,590 real downloads a day against 44,761 for async-graphql (52.3x). 5,816 crates depend on tower and 329 on async-graphql. tower last shipped 9 months ago, async-graphql 6 months ago.
tower
Widely usedWidely used and steady.
5,816 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Tower is a library of modular and reusable components for building robust clients and servers.
async-graphql
EstablishedEstablished and losing ground.
329 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
A GraphQL server library implemented in Rust
towerasync-graphql · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic
Every number, side by side
| Same window, same method | tower | async-graphql |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 2,342,590 | 44,761 |
| Crates that depend on it | 5,816 | 329 |
| Last release | 0.5.3, 9 months ago | 8.0.0-rc.5, 6 months ago |
| Trend vs the field | -4% | -11% |
| Release-window share | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Downloads in the window | 209,947,395 | 4,231,826 |
| All-time downloads | 766,196,518 | 33,931,555 |
| Versions published | 26 | 441 |
| License | MIT | MIT OR Apache-2.0 |
| MSRV | 1.64.0 | 1.89.0 |
| First published | Dec 23, 2016 | Mar 3, 2020 |
Which to pick
- Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
- When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (tower, 5,816 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: tower 9 months ago, async-graphql 6 months ago.
Also in this space
Method
Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 27, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study.
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Art: Nicholas Roerich, Nag Lake (1925). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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