Apollo Client

Apollo Client is a JavaScript library for managing GraphQL data and keeping application interfaces in sync with it. It is best suited to developers building GraphQL apps, especially React teams that want fetching and caching in the client. Its open-source library is free; the separate GraphOS plans add operational capacity and support, but impose limits that matter as teams grow.

Overview

Apollo Client brings remote and local data management into a single GraphQL client. Its strongest case is an application that repeatedly fetches and displays GraphQL data: queries, caching and UI updates work together rather than requiring developers to coordinate each step themselves. For a project that needs only to inspect or test an API, it is more machinery than necessary.

Key features

Declarative fetching lets developers write a query and receive its data without manually tracking loading states. Normalized caching can make cached queries return almost immediately, and automatic UI updates help the interface reflect changes to application data. That is a useful combination for data-rich apps, though cache behavior is less of a draw for a small tool with few repeated queries.

The core @apollo/client package has built-in React integration, including hooks and Suspense. JavaScript and TypeScript apps can adopt it incrementally, and it works with any build setup and GraphQL API, which makes it viable beyond a fixed framework or project structure. Community integrations reach Angular, Vue, Svelte, Solid.js, Ember, Meteor and Apollo Elements web components, plus native iOS and Android.

With GraphOS Router, Apollo Client supports incremental delivery through @defer, GraphQL subscriptions and persisted-query safelisting. Chrome and Firefox Devtools extensions include GraphiQL and inspectors for watched queries, mutations and the cache. GraphOS also provides an Explorer IDE, schema registry, schema-usage insights and organization-based team collaboration on its free offering. These tools broaden the value for teams working across client and schema operations, but the client itself does not include code generation.

Apollo passed a SOC 2 Type II audit with no exceptions in May 2024, holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification as of October 10, 2024, and states compliance with NIST SP 800-171. That makes its stated security credentials relevant to teams evaluating a vendor alongside the open-source client.

Pricing

Apollo Client is open source and free. GraphOS plans determine the limits and support available to teams using its operational features:

• Free: free, up to 3 developers, one self-hosted GraphOS Router capped at 60 requests per minute, 1-day data retention and community support. This is a sensible starting point for a small team, but the short retention and low router ceiling constrain sustained operational use.
• Developer: $5 a month, billed monthly, with automatic volume discounts as usage scales. It supports up to 10 developers, 7-day retention and Developer Support (8×5, no SLA), and includes a $50 usage credit when you sign up. It is the step up for a team that needs more seats and retention without a sales-led plan; support still has no SLA.
• Standard: custom pricing, billed through sales, for up to 30 developers, 90-day retention and Standard Support (8×5, with SLA). The longer history and SLA suit teams that need defined support commitments, at the cost of custom pricing.
• Enterprise: custom pricing, billed through sales, with unlimited developers, 18-month retention and Business Support (24×7×365, with SLA). It fits larger teams that need long retention and around-the-clock coverage.

Platforms

Apollo Client’s listed platforms are Android, API, extension, iOS and web. Its deployment model is hybrid, with a schema registry, API explorer and operation testing; client code generation is not included. The broad platform reach comes through community integrations as well as the JavaScript client, so native teams should distinguish those integrations from the core package’s React support.

Who it's for

Choose Apollo Client when an application needs a reusable GraphQL data layer, normalized caching and UI updates, particularly in React or in a JavaScript or TypeScript app that must be adopted incrementally. The free client also makes it accessible to projects that do not need paid GraphOS capacity. Look elsewhere if the main task is API exploration, or if a team needs more router capacity, longer retention or stronger support than the Free plan provides.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Declarative queries, normalized caching and automatic UI updates address the connected work of fetching and displaying GraphQL data.
• Pro: React support is built into the core package, while incremental adoption and community integrations accommodate other app frameworks and native platforms.
• Pro: Free GraphOS tools and browser Devtools add schema, query and cache inspection without requiring a paid plan.
• Con: The Free GraphOS Router is limited to 60 requests per minute and 1-day retention, making it a constrained choice for larger or longer-running operations.
• Con: Developer costs $5 a month and still has no SLA; Standard and Enterprise require custom pricing for SLA-backed support and expanded retention.
• Con: Client code generation is not included, so teams seeking that capability must account for it separately.

Alternatives

Altair GraphQL Client is a better fit when the priority is a GraphQL client with a free tier covering up to 2 team members, 20 queries, unlimited collections and history up to 10 revisions; its Pro plan is 7.99 USD pe…

Apollo Studio is worth considering when the need is GraphOS tooling rather than an application data client; its free plan also has up to 3 developers, a router limit of 60 requests per minute and 1-day retention.

Hot Chocolate is a free GraphQL option for teams that want software licensed for commercial or private projects.

GraphiQL is a free, MIT-licensed package for React applications when the need is an API exploration interface rather than Apollo Client’s data-management role.

GraphQL Hive has a free Hobby plan with 1M operations per month, 7-day usage-data retention and unlimited seats, projects, organizations and schema pushes, making it a candidate for teams prioritizing those allowances.

Lighthouse is a free installable PHP package for Laravel or Lumen projects.

PostGraphile is another option; its V4 Core and V5 releases are open source under the MIT license.

WunderGraph Cosmo offers a free Developer plan with one federated graph, 10M requests per month, 10 subgraphs, one team member and 7-day retention.

GraphQL Tools is a category directory for comparing related software.

Verdict

Apollo Client is a strong choice for developers building GraphQL applications who want fetching, caching and UI updates in one library, with especially direct support for React. The free open-source client is its clearest advantage; teams should look elsewhere or move to a higher GraphOS tier if the Free plan’s router limit and 1-day retention are too restrictive, or if they need SLA-backed support.