Comparison

Apollo GraphQL vs Relay

On the evidence we track, Relay leads this comparison with a composite score of 70/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Apollo GraphQL full profile →Relay full profile →

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

Apollo GraphQL63

★Relay70

Attribute comparison across 2 tools
Attribute	Apollo GraphQL	RelayLeader
vioscaleAI score	63 / 100medium · 57%	70 / 100medium · 58%
Pricing
Free tierpricing.free_tier	✓	✓
Modelpricing.model	freemium	commercial
Price levelpricing.price_level	free	free
Transparentpricing.transparent	✓	-
Integrations
Countintegrations.count	4	-
Security
Gdprsecurity.gdpr	✓	-
Scorecardsecurity.scorecard	6	5.8
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=relay-runtime&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0
Reliability
Status pagereliability.status_page	✓	-
Adoption
Dependent reposadoption.dependent_repos	76,434	76,213
Github starsadoption.github_stars	13,949	18,962
Package downloads weeklyadoption.package_downloads_weekly	2,385,461	4,659,338
Activity
Commits last 30dactivity.commits_last_30d	1	100
Release
Cadence daysrelease.cadence_days	-	47
Historyrelease.history	20 items	20 items
License
Spdxlicense.spdx	MIT	MIT
Language
Primarylanguage.primary	TypeScript	Rust
Market
Availabilitymarket.availability	Available worldwide · Popular in US · HQ US	Available worldwide
Content
Faqcontent.faq	8 items	5 items

Score

vioscaleAI score

Apollo GraphQL63 / 100medium · 57%

Relay70 / 100medium · 58%

Pricing

Free tier

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

Model

Apollo GraphQLfreemium

Relaycommercial

Price level

Apollo GraphQLfree

Relayfree

Transparent

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay–

Integrations

Count

Apollo GraphQL4

Relay–

Security

Gdpr

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay–

Scorecard

Apollo GraphQL6

Relay5.8

Trust center

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

Relay–

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

RelayCount: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=relay-runtime&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0

Reliability

Status page

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay–

Adoption

Dependent repos

Apollo GraphQL76,434

Relay76,213

Github stars

Apollo GraphQL13,949

Relay18,962

Package downloads weekly

Apollo GraphQL2,385,461

Relay4,659,338

Activity

Commits last 30d

Apollo GraphQL1

Relay100

Release

Cadence days

Apollo GraphQL–

Relay47

History

Apollo GraphQL20 items

Relay20 items

License

Spdx

Apollo GraphQLMIT

RelayMIT

Language

Primary

Apollo GraphQLTypeScript

RelayRust

Market

Availability

Apollo GraphQLAvailable worldwide · Popular in US · HQ US

RelayAvailable worldwide

Content

Faq

Apollo GraphQL8 items

Relay5 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	Relay
Core
Role	Gateway / federation	Client
Primary language	API-agnostic (supports any GraphQL API regardless of implementation language)	JavaScript / TypeScript
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

RelayClient

Primary language

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

RelayJavaScript / TypeScript

Modelling

Schema approach

Apollo GraphQLDB introspection

RelayCode-first

Scale

Federation / subgraph composition

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✗

Realtime

Real-time subscriptions

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

Performance

Response / edge caching

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

Typed code generation

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

Automation

Generates API from a database

Apollo GraphQL✗

Relay✗

Security

Built-in authz / permissions

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✗

Deployment

Official hosted offering

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✗

Self-hostable

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

What each one is

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

Apollo GraphQL

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

Independently observed

Relay

Leader

A GraphQL client for React that automates data fetching and manages normalized client-side state across components. It provides type-safe queries, mutations with optimistic updates, streaming support, and maintains data consistency across the application.

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

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 ↗

Relay

Leader

Open sourceFree tier

Free and open-source

as of 2026-08-14verify ↗

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	Relay
WebPlatforms	✓	✓
iOSPlatforms	✓	✓
CLIPlatforms	✗	✓
Self-hostedDeployment	✓	✓

Platforms

Web

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

iOS

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

CLI

Apollo GraphQL✗

Relay✓

Deployment

Self-hosted

Apollo GraphQL✓

Relay✓

Integrations

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

Apollo GraphQL

4 total

Apollo Connectors
Apollo MCP Server
GraphQL APIs
REST APIs

Independently observed

Relay

Leader

Not documented yet.

Still deciding?

Apollo GraphQL or Relay: 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.