Embodiments relate to subgraph-based distributed graph processing. An aspect includes receiving an input graph comprising a plurality of vertices. Another aspect includes partitioning the input graph into a plurality of subgraphs, each subgraph comprising internal vertices and boundary vertices. Another aspect includes assigning one or more respective subgraphs to each of a plurality of workers. Another aspect includes initiating processing of the plurality of subgraphs by performing a series of processing steps comprising: processing the internal vertices and boundary vertices internally within each of the subgraphs; detecting that a change was made to a boundary vertex of a first subgraph during the internal processing; and sending a message from a first worker to which the first subgraph is assigned to a second worker to which a second subgraph is assigned in response to detecting the change that was made to the boundary vertex of the first subgraph.