Apollo vs Redux: What are the differences?

Introduction

Apollo and Redux are both state management libraries that are commonly used in web development. While they serve similar purposes, there are some key differences between the two.

1. Architecture: Apollo is a GraphQL client that focuses on providing a complete solution for managing an application's data layer. It provides tools for fetching, caching, and updating data from a GraphQL API. On the other hand, Redux is a state management library that can be used with any data source, not just GraphQL. It follows a unidirectional data flow pattern and is typically used with a state container like React.

2. Data Fetching: In Apollo, data fetching is built-in and managed through its GraphQL client. It automatically optimizes queries, caches data, and provides tools for fetching data with pagination and real-time updates. Redux, on the other hand, does not have built-in data fetching capabilities. It relies on libraries like Axios or fetch to manually make API requests and handle the data.

3. GraphQL Integration: Apollo is specifically designed to work seamlessly with the GraphQL language. It provides a GraphQL-specific API and integrates well with GraphQL server libraries. Redux, on the other hand, is not tied to any particular data format or language. It can work with REST APIs, GraphQL, or any other data source.

4. Normalized Caching: Apollo automatically normalizes and caches data from the server. This means that when multiple components query for the same data, Apollo can retrieve it from the local cache instead of making a network request. Redux, on the other hand, does not have built-in caching. Developers need to implement their own caching mechanisms if they want to avoid unnecessary API calls.

5. Strong Typing: Apollo uses GraphQL's strong typing system to provide type safety for queries, mutations, and subscriptions. It generates TypeScript types based on the server schema, which makes it easier to catch potential errors early in the development process. Redux, on the other hand, does not have built-in support for strong typing. Developers need to rely on external tools like TypeScript or Flow for type safety.

6. Ecosystem: Apollo has a rich ecosystem that includes tools for server-side rendering, subscriptions, and real-time updates. It also has official integrations with popular front-end frameworks like React and Angular. Redux, on the other hand, has a simpler and more lightweight ecosystem. It is commonly used with React, but can also work with other frameworks or vanilla JavaScript.

In summary, Apollo and Redux have different focuses and capabilities. Apollo is a specialized GraphQL client that provides extensive features for managing data fetching, caching, and updating. Redux, on the other hand, is a more general-purpose state management library that can be used with any data source, but does not have built-in support for features like data fetching and normalization.