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Apollo Server — build a Node.js GraphQL API from schemas and resolvers

OSS scale score 294.0OSS health 88Update pace 3 commits/30d
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Stars
13,954
Primary language
TypeScript
License
MIT
Repository last updated
Sep 20, 2026

Overview

Apollo Server is a GraphQL server for Node.js that builds APIs from a schema and resolver functions. It can run as a standalone server, integrate with web frameworks, or participate in Apollo Federation as a subgraph or gateway.

Features and best fit

Based on official documentation; not hands-on tested · Content checked:

Start a standalone GraphQL server from schema and resolvers

Define typeDefs and resolver functions, then use startStandaloneServer to expose a GraphQL endpoint with minimal HTTP setup.

Sources: [2][3]

Expand into web-framework and Federation deployments

Framework integrations provide more HTTP control, while Federation support covers subgraph and gateway roles.

Sources: [2][3]

For schema-first GraphQL APIs on Node.js

It fits APIs that want to combine multiple data sources behind a GraphQL schema and expose them through typed client operations.

Sources: [2]

Do not mix pre-v4 package names with the v5 runtime requirements

Current applications use @apollo/server and need Node.js 20+. Older apollo-server-express examples should not be applied directly to current integrations.

Sources: [2][4]

Official sources

  1. [1]apollographql/apollo-server repository(2026-09-21)
  2. [2]Apollo Server README(2026-09-21)
  3. [3]Apollo Server documentation(2026-09-21)
  4. [4]@apollo/server package(2026-09-21)
  5. [5]Apollo Server MIT license(2026-09-21)
Supplemental curator note

Apollo Server 4+ moved from the old `apollo-server*` package family to `@apollo/server`. The current `@apollo/server` package is 5.5.1, requires Node.js 20+, and peers on `graphql` ^16.11.0. The standalone server is convenient for getting started, while framework integrations are more appropriate when HTTP behavior needs finer control.

Try it in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Install Apollo Server and GraphQL

    Install the packages used by the current standalone-server README path.

    npm install @apollo/server graphql
  2. 2

    Define the schema and resolvers in server.mjs

    Follow the README hello-query example and start a standalone GraphQL server.

    Create ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers }) and startStandaloneServer(server)
  3. 3

    Start the server and run a query

    Open the printed URL in Apollo Sandbox and verify that the hello query returns world.

    node server.mjs → query { hello }
Check the official README

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13,954 Stars

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Development activity

Last 90 days · weekly

Commits (last 30 days)
3
Open PRs
29

Development activity is still being collected.

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GitHub data

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GitHub Topics

  • graphql
  • graphql-server
  • express-graphql
  • express
  • koa
  • hapi
  • node
  • restify
  • apollographql
  • graphql-schema
  • resolvers
Stars
13,954
Forks
2,005
Watchers
195
Open issues
59
Contributors
417
Primary language
TypeScript
License
MIT
Repository last updated
Sep 20, 2026
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