Apollo vs GraphQL Nexus: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Apollo and GraphQL Nexus

Introduction

Apollo and GraphQL Nexus are both tools used in building GraphQL APIs. While they both serve the purpose of working with GraphQL, they have some key differences that set them apart.

1. Code Generation: Apollo heavily utilizes code generation to build the GraphQL schema, resolvers, and client-side code. It provides tools like Apollo Server and Apollo Client, allowing developers to generate code from a schema and easily integrate it into their application. On the other hand, GraphQL Nexus takes a more programmatic approach and provides a type-safe DSL (Domain Specific Language) that allows developers to define the GraphQL schema using TypeScript decorators and a fluent API. This approach eliminates the need for code generation as the schema is generated at runtime.

2. Schema-first vs Code-first: Apollo follows a schema-first approach, where the schema is defined upfront and the resolvers are built to match the schema. This approach allows for schema design and validation before writing any resolvers. GraphQL Nexus takes a code-first approach, where the types and resolvers are defined in code using the Nexus DSL. This allows for more control and flexibility in defining the schema and resolvers directly in code.

3. Ease of Use: Apollo provides a comprehensive ecosystem of tools and libraries, making it easier to work with GraphQL. It has features like caching, batching, and integration with popular frameworks like React and Angular. GraphQL Nexus, on the other hand, is a lightweight library focused on creating a type-safe and developer-friendly API. It provides a clean and concise API for defining the schema and resolvers, which can be beneficial for developers who prefer a simpler and more minimalistic approach.

4. Type Safety: Apollo provides a strong type system with TypeScript, allowing for type checking and autocompletion. It ensures that the types are correctly defined and consistent across the schema, resolvers, and client-side code. GraphQL Nexus embraces TypeScript fully and provides a type-safe DSL for defining the schema. It leverages the type inference capabilities of TypeScript to provide a seamless development experience with autocompletion and compile-time type checking.

5. Integration with Existing Codebases: Apollo can easily integrate into existing codebases, allowing developers to gradually adopt GraphQL. It provides tools like schema stitching and schema transformation to merge existing schemas or transform them to match the Apollo schema. GraphQL Nexus can also integrate into existing codebases, but it requires rewriting the schema and resolvers in the Nexus DSL. This approach may require more effort in migrating existing codebases to GraphQL Nexus.

6. Community and Ecosystem: Apollo has a large and active community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and community support. It has a wide range of plugins and integrations with other tools and frameworks. GraphQL Nexus, being a newer library, has a smaller community but is gaining popularity. It has a growing ecosystem of plugins and extensions, but it may have limited support compared to Apollo.

In summary, Apollo heavily utilizes code generation and follows a schema-first approach, providing a comprehensive ecosystem of tools and integrations. GraphQL Nexus takes a code-first approach, leveraging TypeScript and providing a lightweight and developer-friendly API for defining the schema and resolvers.