Cosmos DB Data Explorer Alternatives for Graphs

The Problem with Data Explorer for Graphs

If you work with Azure Cosmos DB’s Gremlin API, you’ve probably used the built-in Data Explorer in the Azure Portal. It works — but anyone who’s spent time building real graph applications knows its limitations. The visualization is basic, there’s no query history, no autocomplete, and debugging a multi-step Gremlin traversal means running partial queries manually and guessing what went wrong.

This post compares the available tools for working with Cosmos DB graph data, so you can pick the right one for your workflow.

Azure Portal Data Explorer

The default option. It’s free, it’s always there, and it requires no setup.

What it does well:

• Zero setup — accessible from any browser via the Azure Portal
• Basic graph visualization for small result sets
• Supports both Gremlin queries and document-mode queries
• Direct access to database metrics and settings

Where it falls short:

• No autocomplete or syntax highlighting — you’re writing Gremlin in a plain text box
• Graph visualization is limited — nodes overlap, no layout algorithms, no styling. Usable for 10 vertices, unusable for 100
• No query history — close the tab and your queries are gone
• No debugger — you can’t step through a traversal to see intermediate results
• No offline access — requires internet and an Azure Portal session
• Session timeouts — the portal times out, losing unsaved work
• Slow for iteration — every query round-trips through the portal UI with loading spinners

For quick one-off queries, Data Explorer is fine. For daily development work, it slows you down.

Gremlin Console (Apache TinkerPop)

The official command-line client for any Gremlin-compatible database.

What it does well:

• Free and open source
• Works with any TinkerPop-compatible database, not just Cosmos DB
• Scriptable — you can pipe queries from files
• Full Gremlin language support

Where it falls short:

• Text-only output — no graph visualization at all. Results come back as raw JSON or string dumps
• Complex setup for Cosmos DB — requires configuring remote-objects.yaml with your connection string, SSL settings, and serializer
• No autocomplete — you need to know the full Gremlin API from memory
• No query history persistence — session history is lost on exit
• Serialization issues — Cosmos DB uses GraphSON 2.0 with some non-standard behavior, which can cause deserialization errors

The Gremlin Console is best for scripting and automation, not for interactive development.

gdotv

A commercial desktop application for graph database visualization.

What it does well:

• Professional graph visualization with multiple layout options
• Supports multiple graph databases (Neo4j, JanusGraph, TinkerPop)
• Style customization for nodes and edges
• Export visualizations as images

Where it falls short:

• Cosmos DB support is limited — designed primarily for generic TinkerPop, not optimized for Cosmos DB-specific features like partition keys
• No Gremlin debugger — can’t step through traversals
• No integrated query editor with autocomplete — query input is basic
• Pricing — commercial license required for full features
• No schema discovery — doesn’t introspect your graph structure automatically

gdotv is a good visualization tool, but it’s not an IDE for query development.

GraphExp

An open-source graph exploration tool that runs in the browser.

What it does well:

• Free and open source
• Browser-based graph visualization using D3.js
• Simple setup — point it at a Gremlin server endpoint
• Basic node and edge exploration

Where it falls short:

• Maintenance — the project hasn’t seen significant updates recently
• No autocomplete, no debugger, no query history
• Limited Cosmos DB compatibility — can require workarounds for Cosmos DB’s GraphSON format
• Basic visualization — no layout algorithms, limited styling
• No schema panel, no result export, no CRUD operations

GraphExp is a lightweight exploration tool, not a development environment.

GremlinStudio

A desktop IDE purpose-built for Azure Cosmos DB’s Gremlin API.

What it does well:

• Monaco-powered query editor — same editor as VS Code, with Gremlin syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and multi-tab support
• Graph visualization — Sigma.js with ForceAtlas2 layout, edge arrows, custom style rules, and interactive node/edge inspection
• The only Gremlin debugger — step through traversals one step at a time, see intermediate results, and watch highlighted nodes/edges on the graph
• Schema discovery — auto-detects vertex labels, edge labels, and properties from your graph
• Query history — every query is saved and searchable
• CRUD operations — right-click to create, edit, or delete vertices and edges visually
• AI-powered queries — type natural language, get Gremlin (bring your own OpenAI key)
• Offline and local — desktop app, your data never leaves your machine
• Purpose-built for Cosmos DB — handles GraphSON 2.0 quirks, partition keys, and RU cost display

Pricing: Starts at $5/month for Starter, $9.99/month for Pro with all features. 7-day free trial with full Pro access.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Data Explorer	Gremlin Console	gdotv	GraphExp	GremlinStudio
Syntax highlighting	-	-	-	-	Yes
Autocomplete	-	-	-	-	Yes
Graph visualization	Basic	-	Yes	Basic	Yes
Query debugger	-	-	-	-	Yes
Schema discovery	-	-	-	-	Yes
Query history	-	Session only	-	-	Yes
CRUD UI	-	-	-	-	Yes
AI / NL queries	-	-	-	-	Yes
Cosmos DB optimized	Yes	-	-	-	Yes
Works offline	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Free	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes	Trial
Cross-platform	Browser	Yes	Yes	Browser	Yes

Which Tool Should You Use?

• Quick one-off queries in the portal: Use Data Explorer. It’s already there.
• Scripting and automation: Use Gremlin Console. Pipe queries from files, integrate into CI/CD.
• Graph visualization only: gdotv is a solid option if you need pretty pictures for presentations.
• Daily Cosmos DB development: GremlinStudio is the only tool that combines a real editor, graph visualization, a debugger, and Cosmos DB-specific optimizations in one package.

If you’re spending more than an hour a day writing and testing Gremlin queries against Cosmos DB, a dedicated IDE pays for itself in the first week.

Next Steps

• Download GremlinStudio and start your free 7-day trial
• Read the Getting Started guide to connect to your Cosmos DB instance
• Try the Gremlin debugger on your most complex traversals
• Set up a local Cosmos DB Emulator for development without cloud costs