@apollo/server vs @nestjs/graphql vs graphql-yoga vs express-graphql
GraphQL Server Libraries Comparison
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What's GraphQL Server Libraries?

GraphQL server libraries provide the necessary tools and frameworks to build GraphQL APIs, enabling efficient data fetching and manipulation through a single endpoint. They facilitate the creation of schemas, resolvers, and middleware, allowing developers to define the structure of their data and how it can be accessed. Each library has unique features and design philosophies that cater to different use cases, from full-fledged frameworks to lightweight solutions, making it essential to choose the right one based on project requirements and team familiarity.

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@apollo/server1,203,82313,8531.96 MB952 months agoMIT
@nestjs/graphql597,8451,490546 kB5115 days agoMIT
graphql-yoga486,0278,320273 kB152a day agoMIT
express-graphql266,9626,319-554 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: @apollo/server vs @nestjs/graphql vs graphql-yoga vs express-graphql

Integration

  • @apollo/server:

    @apollo/server provides deep integration with Apollo Client, allowing for advanced features like caching and state management, making it ideal for applications that require complex data handling.

  • @nestjs/graphql:

    @nestjs/graphql integrates seamlessly with the NestJS framework, leveraging its modular architecture and dependency injection, which promotes code organization and reusability.

  • graphql-yoga:

    graphql-yoga is a standalone server that can be easily integrated with various frameworks and libraries, providing a flexible setup for developers looking for a quick and efficient GraphQL solution.

  • express-graphql:

    express-graphql is designed to work with Express.js, making it easy to add GraphQL capabilities to existing Express applications without requiring a complete overhaul of the app's architecture.

Features and Flexibility

  • @apollo/server:

    @apollo/server offers a rich set of features including built-in support for subscriptions, middleware, and performance tracing, making it suitable for complex applications that require extensive functionality.

  • @nestjs/graphql:

    @nestjs/graphql provides decorators and a modular approach, allowing developers to easily define schemas and resolvers while maintaining a clean code structure, making it flexible for large-scale applications.

  • graphql-yoga:

    graphql-yoga comes with sensible defaults and built-in support for features like subscriptions and file uploads, making it user-friendly and flexible for developers who want to get started quickly.

  • express-graphql:

    express-graphql is lightweight and minimal, focusing on providing the core functionalities needed to implement GraphQL, which allows developers to customize their setup as needed without unnecessary bloat.

Learning Curve

  • @apollo/server:

    @apollo/server has a moderate learning curve, especially for developers unfamiliar with Apollo's ecosystem. However, its extensive documentation and community support can help ease the onboarding process.

  • @nestjs/graphql:

    @nestjs/graphql may have a steeper learning curve due to its reliance on NestJS concepts like decorators and modules, but it rewards developers with a structured and maintainable codebase.

  • graphql-yoga:

    graphql-yoga is designed for quick adoption, with minimal configuration required. Its simplicity makes it ideal for beginners or those looking to prototype applications rapidly.

  • express-graphql:

    express-graphql is straightforward and easy to learn, making it an excellent choice for developers who are already familiar with Express.js and want to add GraphQL capabilities without much overhead.

Performance

  • @apollo/server:

    @apollo/server is optimized for performance with features like batching and caching, which can significantly reduce the number of requests made to the server and improve response times.

  • @nestjs/graphql:

    @nestjs/graphql benefits from NestJS's performance optimizations and can handle complex applications efficiently, especially when using TypeScript for type safety and clarity.

  • graphql-yoga:

    graphql-yoga is built for performance with features like automatic persisted queries and subscriptions, making it suitable for real-time applications that demand quick responses.

  • express-graphql:

    express-graphql is lightweight and performs well for smaller applications, but may require additional optimizations for larger datasets or complex queries to maintain performance.

Community and Ecosystem

  • @apollo/server:

    @apollo/server has a large and active community, providing a wealth of resources, plugins, and integrations that enhance its functionality and ease of use.

  • @nestjs/graphql:

    @nestjs/graphql is part of the NestJS ecosystem, which has been rapidly growing, offering a supportive community and numerous modules that can be leveraged for various use cases.

  • graphql-yoga:

    graphql-yoga has a smaller but dedicated community, focusing on ease of use and rapid development, making it a good choice for developers looking for straightforward support.

  • express-graphql:

    express-graphql has a solid community due to its simplicity and integration with Express, but it may not have as many advanced features or plugins compared to more comprehensive solutions.

How to Choose: @apollo/server vs @nestjs/graphql vs graphql-yoga vs express-graphql
  • @apollo/server:

    Choose @apollo/server if you are looking for a robust and feature-rich GraphQL server that integrates seamlessly with Apollo Client, providing advanced features like caching, subscriptions, and a powerful developer toolset.

  • @nestjs/graphql:

    Select @nestjs/graphql if you are already using NestJS or prefer a modular architecture with TypeScript support. It leverages decorators and dependency injection, making it suitable for building scalable server-side applications.

  • graphql-yoga:

    Choose graphql-yoga if you need a zero-config GraphQL server that supports subscriptions out of the box and is designed for ease of use. It's great for rapid prototyping and development, especially for teams looking for a simple setup.

  • express-graphql:

    Opt for express-graphql if you want a minimalistic and straightforward solution that integrates easily with existing Express applications. It's ideal for small projects or when you need to quickly set up a GraphQL endpoint without additional overhead.

Similar Npm Packages to @apollo/server

@apollo/server is a powerful library for building GraphQL servers using Apollo's ecosystem. It provides a robust and flexible way to create GraphQL APIs, allowing developers to define their schema, resolvers, and middleware easily. With built-in support for features like caching, performance tracing, and error handling, @apollo/server is an excellent choice for developers looking to implement GraphQL in their applications. Its integration with Apollo Client also makes it a popular choice for full-stack applications that require seamless communication between the client and server.

However, there are several alternatives to @apollo/server that cater to different needs and preferences:

  • @nestjs/graphql is a library that integrates GraphQL with the NestJS framework, which is built on top of Express. It provides decorators and utilities to create GraphQL APIs effortlessly while leveraging the powerful features of NestJS, such as dependency injection and modular architecture. If you are already using NestJS for your application, @nestjs/graphql is a natural choice for implementing GraphQL, as it allows you to maintain consistency and take advantage of the framework's features.

  • express-graphql is a middleware for creating GraphQL APIs using the Express framework. It provides a straightforward way to set up a GraphQL server with minimal configuration. With express-graphql, you can define your schema and resolvers directly in your Express application, making it a great option for developers who prefer a simple and lightweight solution for adding GraphQL capabilities to their existing Express applications.

  • graphql-yoga is a fully-featured GraphQL server that is easy to set up and use. It is built on top of Express and provides a rich set of features, including real-time subscriptions, file uploads, and built-in support for GraphQL Playground. graphql-yoga is designed to be flexible and can be used with various frameworks, making it a great choice for developers who want a comprehensive solution without the complexity of configuring multiple libraries.

To explore how @apollo/server compares with its alternatives, check out the comparison: Comparing @apollo/server vs @nestjs/graphql vs express-graphql vs graphql-yoga.

Similar Npm Packages to @nestjs/graphql

@nestjs/graphql is a powerful package that integrates GraphQL capabilities into NestJS applications. It provides decorators and utilities that enable developers to define GraphQL schemas, resolvers, and types using TypeScript. This integration allows for a seamless development experience, leveraging NestJS's modular architecture and dependency injection system. With its support for features like subscriptions, middleware, and validation, @nestjs/graphql is an excellent choice for building robust GraphQL APIs in a NestJS environment.

However, there are several alternatives available for implementing GraphQL in Node.js applications:

  • apollo-server-express is a community-driven library that integrates Apollo Server with Express. It allows developers to create a GraphQL server easily and provides features such as schema stitching, caching, and real-time subscriptions. apollo-server-express is highly customizable and works well with various middleware, making it a popular choice for developers looking to build scalable GraphQL APIs with Express.
  • express-graphql is a simple and straightforward middleware for creating a GraphQL server using Express. It allows developers to define their GraphQL schema and resolvers directly in their Express applications. While it may not offer as many features as Apollo Server, express-graphql is lightweight and easy to set up, making it a good option for smaller projects or those who prefer a minimalistic approach to GraphQL.
  • graphql-yoga is a fully-featured GraphQL server that is built on top of Express and other libraries. It provides a simple setup and comes with a lot of built-in features, such as real-time subscriptions, file uploads, and GraphQL Playground for testing queries. graphql-yoga is designed to be easy to use and configure, making it an excellent choice for developers who want a quick and efficient way to set up a GraphQL server with minimal boilerplate.

To see how @nestjs/graphql compares with its alternatives, check out the comparison: Comparing @nestjs/graphql vs apollo-server-express vs express-graphql vs graphql-yoga.

Similar Npm Packages to graphql-yoga

graphql-yoga is a fully-featured GraphQL server that is easy to set up and use. It is built on top of the popular Apollo Server and Express frameworks, providing a simple and flexible way to create GraphQL APIs. With built-in support for features like subscriptions, file uploads, and more, graphql-yoga is an excellent choice for developers looking to quickly build and deploy GraphQL servers. Its user-friendly API and extensive documentation make it accessible for both beginners and experienced developers alike.

While graphql-yoga is a robust solution, there are other libraries in the GraphQL ecosystem that serve similar purposes. Here are a few alternatives:

  • apollo-server-express is a community-driven, open-source GraphQL server that integrates seamlessly with Express. It is part of the Apollo GraphQL ecosystem and offers powerful features such as caching, batching, and real-time subscriptions. apollo-server-express is ideal for developers who want to leverage the full capabilities of Apollo Client and need a highly customizable server setup. Its extensive features make it suitable for complex applications that require advanced GraphQL functionalities.
  • express-graphql is a minimalistic GraphQL server implementation for Express. It provides a straightforward way to create a GraphQL API with basic features. While it may not have as many built-in functionalities as graphql-yoga or apollo-server-express, express-graphql is lightweight and easy to use, making it a great choice for developers who want to get started with GraphQL without additional overhead. It allows for quick prototyping and is suitable for smaller applications or projects that require a simple GraphQL setup.

To see how graphql-yoga compares with apollo-server-express and express-graphql, check out the comparison: Comparing apollo-server-express vs express-graphql vs graphql-yoga.

Similar Npm Packages to express-graphql

express-graphql is a middleware for integrating GraphQL with Express.js, allowing developers to build GraphQL APIs easily and efficiently. It provides a straightforward way to set up a GraphQL server, enabling developers to define their schema and resolvers while leveraging the power of Express.js for handling HTTP requests. With express-graphql, you can quickly create a robust GraphQL endpoint that can serve complex data queries and mutations.

While express-graphql is a popular choice for building GraphQL APIs, there are other libraries that serve similar purposes. Here are a few alternatives:

  • apollo-server-express is part of the Apollo Server ecosystem, which is widely used for building GraphQL APIs. It integrates seamlessly with Express.js, providing a rich set of features such as built-in support for subscriptions, caching, and performance tracing. Apollo Server also offers a powerful developer experience with tools like Apollo Client and Apollo Studio, making it an excellent choice for developers looking for a comprehensive solution for building GraphQL APIs.
  • graphql-yoga is a fully-featured GraphQL server that is easy to set up and use. It is built on top of Express.js and provides a simple API for creating GraphQL servers with features like real-time subscriptions, file uploads, and more. graphql-yoga is designed to be flexible and extensible, making it suitable for both small projects and larger applications. Its simplicity and ease of use make it a great option for developers looking to get started with GraphQL quickly.

To see how express-graphql compares with apollo-server-express and graphql-yoga, check out the comparison: Comparing apollo-server-express vs express-graphql vs graphql-yoga.

README for @apollo/server

@apollo/server

This @apollo/server package is new with Apollo Server 4. Previous major versions of Apollo Server used a set of package names starting with apollo-server, such as apollo-server, apollo-server-express, apollo-server-core, etc.

npm version Build Status Join the community

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A TypeScript/JavaScript GraphQL server

Apollo Server is an open-source, spec-compliant GraphQL server that's compatible with any GraphQL client, including Apollo Client. It's the best way to build a production-ready, self-documenting GraphQL API that can use data from any source.

You can use Apollo Server as:

Apollo Server provides a simple API for integrating with any Node.js web framework or serverless environment. The @apollo/server package itself ships with a minimally-configurable, standalone web server which handles CORS and body parsing out of the box. Integrations with other environments are community-maintained.

Apollo Server provides:

  • Straightforward setup, so your client developers can start fetching data quickly
  • Incremental adoption, enabling you to add features as they're needed
  • Universal compatibility with any data source, any build tool, and any GraphQL client
  • Production readiness, enabling you to confidently run your graph in production

Documentation

Full documentation for Apollo Server is available on our documentation site. This README shows the basics of getting a server running (both standalone and with Express), but most features are only documented on our docs site.

Getting started: standalone server

You can also check out the getting started guide in the Apollo Server docs for more details, including examples in both TypeScript and JavaScript.

Apollo Server's standalone server lets you get a GraphQL server up and running quickly without needing to set up an HTTP server yourself. It allows all the same configuration of GraphQL logic as the Express integration, but does not provide the ability to make fine-grained tweaks to the HTTP-specific behavior of your server.

First, install Apollo Server and the JavaScript implementation of the core GraphQL algorithms:

npm install @apollo/server graphql

Then, write the following to server.mjs. (By using the .mjs extension, Node lets you use the await keyword at the top level.)

import { ApolloServer } from '@apollo/server';
import { startStandaloneServer } from '@apollo/server/standalone';

// The GraphQL schema
const typeDefs = `#graphql
  type Query {
    hello: String
  }
`;

// A map of functions which return data for the schema.
const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    hello: () => 'world',
  },
};

const server = new ApolloServer({
  typeDefs,
  resolvers,
});

const { url } = await startStandaloneServer(server);
console.log(`🚀 Server ready at ${url}`);

Now run your server with:

node server.mjs

Open the URL it prints in a web browser. It will show Apollo Sandbox, a web-based tool for running GraphQL operations. Try running the operation query { hello }!

Getting started: Express middleware

Apollo Server's built-in Express middleware lets you run your GraphQL server as part of an app built with Express, the most popular web framework for Node.

First, install Apollo Server, the JavaScript implementation of the core GraphQL algorithms, Express, and two common Express middleware packages:

npm install @apollo/server graphql express cors body-parser

If using Typescript you may also need to install additional type declaration packages as development dependencies to avoid common errors when importing the above packages (i.e. Could not find a declaration file for module 'cors'):

npm install --save-dev @types/cors @types/express @types/body-parser

Then, write the following to server.mjs. (By using the .mjs extension, Node lets you use the await keyword at the top level.)

import { ApolloServer } from '@apollo/server';
import { expressMiddleware } from '@apollo/server/express4';
import { ApolloServerPluginDrainHttpServer } from '@apollo/server/plugin/drainHttpServer'
import express from 'express';
import http from 'http';
import cors from 'cors';
import bodyParser from 'body-parser';

// The GraphQL schema
const typeDefs = `#graphql
  type Query {
    hello: String
  }
`;

// A map of functions which return data for the schema.
const resolvers = {
  Query: {
    hello: () => 'world',
  },
};

const app = express();
const httpServer = http.createServer(app);

// Set up Apollo Server
const server = new ApolloServer({
  typeDefs,
  resolvers,
  plugins: [ApolloServerPluginDrainHttpServer({ httpServer })],
});
await server.start();

app.use(
  cors(),
  bodyParser.json(),
  expressMiddleware(server),
);

await new Promise((resolve) => httpServer.listen({ port: 4000 }, resolve));
console.log(`🚀 Server ready at http://localhost:4000`);

Now run your server with:

node server.mjs

Open the URL it prints in a web browser. It will show Apollo Sandbox, a web-based tool for running GraphQL operations. Try running the operation query { hello }!

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