Comparison

Apollo GraphQL vs Nexus

On the evidence we track, Apollo GraphQL leads this comparison with a composite score of 63/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Apollo GraphQL full profile →Nexus full profile →

Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.

★Apollo GraphQL63

Nexus49

Attribute comparison across 2 tools
Attribute	Apollo GraphQLLeader	Nexus
vioscaleAI score	63 / 100medium · 57%	49 / 100medium · 66%
Pricing
Free tierpricing.free_tier	✓	✓
Modelpricing.model	freemium	open_source
Price levelpricing.price_level	free	free
Transparentpricing.transparent	✓	-
Integrations
Countintegrations.count	4	4
Security
Gdprsecurity.gdpr	✓	-
Scorecardsecurity.scorecard	6	3.5
Trust centersecurity.trust_center	https://www.apollographql.com/trust	-
Vulnerabilitiessecurity.vulnerabilities	Count: 5 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=apollo-server-core&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 1 · Max severity: MODERATE	Count: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=nexus&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0
Reliability
Status pagereliability.status_page	✓	-
Adoption
Dependent reposadoption.dependent_repos	76,434	2,363
Github starsadoption.github_stars	13,949	3,430
Package downloads weeklyadoption.package_downloads_weekly	2,385,461	239,628
Activity
Commits last 30dactivity.commits_last_30d	1	0
Release
Cadence daysrelease.cadence_days	-	27
Historyrelease.history	20 items	18 items
License
Spdxlicense.spdx	MIT	MIT
Language
Primarylanguage.primary	TypeScript	TypeScript
Market
Availabilitymarket.availability	Available worldwide · Popular in US · HQ US	-
Content
Faqcontent.faq	8 items	3 items

Score

vioscaleAI score

Apollo GraphQL63 / 100medium · 57%

Nexus49 / 100medium · 66%

Pricing

Free tier

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✓

Model

Apollo GraphQLfreemium

Nexusopen_source

Price level

Apollo GraphQLfree

Nexusfree

Transparent

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus–

Integrations

Count

Apollo GraphQL4

Nexus4

Security

Gdpr

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus–

Scorecard

Apollo GraphQL6

Nexus3.5

Trust center

Apollo GraphQLhttps://www.apollographql.com/trust

Nexus–

Vulnerabilities

Apollo GraphQLCount: 5 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=apollo-server-core&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 1 · Max severity: MODERATE

NexusCount: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=nexus&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0

Reliability

Status page

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus–

Adoption

Dependent repos

Apollo GraphQL76,434

Nexus2,363

Github stars

Apollo GraphQL13,949

Nexus3,430

Package downloads weekly

Apollo GraphQL2,385,461

Nexus239,628

Activity

Commits last 30d

Apollo GraphQL1

Nexus0

Release

Cadence days

Apollo GraphQL–

Nexus27

History

Apollo GraphQL20 items

Nexus18 items

License

Spdx

Apollo GraphQLMIT

NexusMIT

Language

Primary

Apollo GraphQLTypeScript

NexusTypeScript

Market

Availability

Apollo GraphQLAvailable worldwide · Popular in US · HQ US

Nexus–

Content

Faq

Apollo GraphQL8 items

Nexus3 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for graphql tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capability comparison for GraphQL Tools
Capability	Apollo GraphQL	Nexus
Core
Role	Gateway / federation	Schema builder
Primary language	API-agnostic (supports any GraphQL API regardless of implementation language)	TypeScript/JavaScript
Modelling
Schema approach	DB introspection	Code-first
Scale
Federation / subgraph composition	✓	-
Realtime
Real-time subscriptions	✓	✓
Performance
Response / edge caching	✓	-
DX
Typed code generation	✓	✓
Automation
Generates API from a database	✗	-
Security
Built-in authz / permissions	✓	-
Deployment
Official hosted offering	✓	✗
Self-hostable	✓	✓

Core

Role

Apollo GraphQLGateway / federation

NexusSchema builder

Primary language

Apollo GraphQLAPI-agnostic (supports any GraphQL API regardless of implementation language)

NexusTypeScript/JavaScript

Modelling

Schema approach

Apollo GraphQLDB introspection

NexusCode-first

Scale

Federation / subgraph composition

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus-

Realtime

Real-time subscriptions

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✓

Performance

Response / edge caching

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus-

Typed code generation

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✓

Automation

Generates API from a database

Apollo GraphQL✗

Nexus-

Security

Built-in authz / permissions

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus-

Deployment

Official hosted offering

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✗

Self-hostable

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Apollo GraphQL

Leader

Apollo helps organizations build a unified GraphQL layer that combines multiple APIs and services, enabling better integration for AI systems and applications.

Independently observed

Nexus

An open-source library enabling declarative GraphQL schema construction with automatic TypeScript type generation and GraphQL SDL schema output. It provides a strongly-typed, code-first API for building GraphQL servers without separate schema definition files.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Apollo GraphQL

Leader

from $5/moHybridFree tier

From $5 per million requests. Free tier with no credit card required.

FreeFree
- GraphOS platform
- Any GraphQL API support
- Self-hosted Router
- GraphQL Federation
- Response Caching
- +3 more
Developer$5 per million requests, billed monthly with volume discounts. $50 credit on signup.
- GraphOS platform
- Any GraphQL API support
- Self-hosted Router
- GraphQL Federation
- Response Caching
- +3 more
StandardContact sales
- GraphOS platform
- Any GraphQL API support
- Self-hosted Router
- GraphQL Federation
- Response Caching
- +3 more
EnterpriseContact sales
- GraphOS platform
- Any GraphQL API support
- Self-hosted Router
- GraphQL Federation
- Response Caching
- +3 more

as of 2026-08-14verify ↗

Nexus

Open source

as of 2026-10-13verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platform and deployment support comparison
Supports	Apollo GraphQL	Nexus
WebPlatforms	✓	✓
iOSPlatforms	✓	✗
Self-hostedDeployment	✓	✓

Platforms

Web

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✓

iOS

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✗

Deployment

Self-hosted

Apollo GraphQL✓

Nexus✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Apollo GraphQL

Leader

4 total

Apollo Connectors
Apollo MCP Server
GraphQL APIs
REST APIs

Independently observed

Nexus

5 total

Prisma
Next.js
graphql-js
graphql-yoga
graphql-middleware

Independently observed

Still deciding?

Apollo GraphQL or Nexus: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.