GraphQL Faker vs graphql-yoga: What are the differences?

1. Purpose: GraphQL Faker is specifically designed to generate fake data based on predefined schemas and it's mainly used for mocking GraphQL APIs during development. On the other hand, graphql-yoga is a fully-featured GraphQL server that includes an Express.js middleware and various other tools to build GraphQL APIs more effectively.

2. Functionality: While GraphQL Faker focuses on creating fake data for testing or prototyping purposes, graphql-yoga is a holistic tool that offers a complete development environment for building, testing, and deploying GraphQL APIs. GraphQL Faker helps simulate real API responses, whereas graphql-yoga allows you to build and run actual GraphQL servers.

3. Development Environment: GraphQL Faker is more suited for use in local development environments to quickly prototype without relying on actual data sources. In contrast, graphql-yoga provides a more comprehensive development environment with features like WebSocket subscriptions, Apollo Engine integration, and easy-to-use middleware options.

4. Dependency: Using GraphQL Faker requires importing the library and defining the schemas for the fake data generation process. On the other hand, graphql-yoga has dependencies on GraphQL.js, Express.js, and other related libraries for setting up a full-fledged GraphQL server.

5. Community Support: GraphQL Faker has a smaller user base compared to graphql-yoga, which is backed by the larger GraphQL community. Due to the extensive community support, graphql-yoga has more resources, documentation, and community-driven updates available.

6. Extensibility: GraphQL Faker is limited in terms of customization and extensibility as its primary focus is on generating fake data within the defined schema structure. In contrast, graphql-yoga offers more flexibility and extensibility options through custom resolvers, middleware, and other features to tailor the GraphQL server according to specific project requirements.

In Summary, GraphQL Faker is ideal for mocking API responses with fake data during development, while graphql-yoga provides a robust GraphQL server environment for building and deploying GraphQL APIs with extensive features and community support.