apollo-server-express vs express-graphql: What are the differences?

Introduction In web development, two popular libraries for building GraphQL servers are apollo-server-express and express-graphql. While both libraries serve the purpose of creating GraphQL APIs with Express, there are several key differences between them. In this article, we will explore and analyze these differences in detail.

1. Server Configuration and Middleware: Apollo Server with Express (apollo-server-express) provides a more flexible and modern approach to configuring GraphQL servers. It allows you to use the full power of Express middleware ecosystem and easily integrate additional middleware for various functionalities like authentication, rate limiting, logging, etc. On the other hand, express-graphql provides a simpler way of configuring a GraphQL server by directly using middleware provided by the express-graphql library itself. It offers fewer options for customization compared to apollo-server-express.

2. Schema Definition: In apollo-server-express, the schema definition is separated from the server configuration. You can define your GraphQL schema using the Apollo Server's API, which supports multiple sources including type definitions, resolvers, and schema stitching. This separation of concerns makes it easier to organize and modularize your schema. On the contrary, express-graphql combines the schema definition and server configuration in a single step, where you define the schema using the GraphQL schema language directly within the middleware options.

3. GraphQL Playground Integration: Apollo Server with Express comes with built-in GraphQL Playground integration. GraphQL Playground is a powerful IDE for exploring, testing, and debugging GraphQL APIs. It provides a user-friendly interface with features like real-time schema exploration, automatic query validation, and intelligent auto-completion. Express-graphql, on the other hand, does not have built-in GraphQL Playground integration. However, you can still use external tools like GraphiQL or GraphQL Playground separately.

4. Apollo Federation Support: Apollo Federation is a powerful approach to build scalable, modular GraphQL architectures. It allows you to create a federated graph by combining multiple GraphQL services into a single graph. Apollo Server with Express has built-in support for Apollo Federation, making it easier to implement federated schemas and seamlessly merge data from different services. However, this feature is not available in express-graphql.

5. Performance and Caching: Apollo Server with Express is known for its better performance and caching capabilities. It uses a powerful data loader mechanism for efficient batch loading of data and provides support for advanced caching strategies like CDN caching and response caching. Express-graphql, on the other hand, has limited support for caching and may require additional custom implementation for advanced caching scenarios.

6. Community and Ecosystem: Apollo Server with Express has a larger and more active community compared to express-graphql. It is backed by Apollo GraphQL, which is a widely adopted and renowned GraphQL platform used by companies worldwide. This larger community leads to better documentation, more third-party integrations, and active community support.

In summary, apollo-server-express provides more flexibility, modern server configuration options, better tooling support, and improved performance compared to express-graphql. It also has the advantage of a larger and more active community. However, express-graphql offers a simpler and more straightforward approach for developers who prefer minimal configuration and do not require advanced features like Apollo Federation or caching.