Version 2.6.10
0
57
FairA simple yet functional GraphQL client.
- Weekly Downloads
- 443.8K
↑11%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 15.4 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
20
Popularity
80
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
Apollo-client vs Relay-runtime
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Quick Verdict
Smallest Bundle
Apollo-client
15.4 KB gzipped
Most Popular
Relay-runtime
5.5M weekly downloads
Best Maintained
Relay-runtime
100/100 maintenance score
Highest Quality
Apollo-client
50/100 quality score
Overall Pick
Relay-runtime
Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality
Version 20.1.1
0
85
ExcellentA core runtime for building GraphQL-driven applications.
- Weekly Downloads
- 5.5M
↑19%
- Bundle (gzip)
- 45.4 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
Choosing between Apollo-client and Relay-runtime? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.
Downloads & Popularity
Relay-runtime leads with 5.5M weekly downloads — roughly 12.4x more. Apollo-client has 443.8K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Apollo-client has the smallest gzipped bundle at 15.4 KB. Relay-runtime comes in at 45.4 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Relay-runtime has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Apollo-client has an overall health score of 57/100 (moderate), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
When to Choose Each
Choose Apollo-client if you value strong security track record. Choose Relay-runtime if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Apollo-client and Relay-runtime are solid choices for JavaScript development. Relay-runtime has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is apollo-client better than relay-runtime?
- It depends on your needs. Apollo-client has a health score of 57/100 while Relay-runtime scores 85/100. Relay-runtime has more weekly downloads (5.5M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
- Which has a smaller bundle size, apollo-client or relay-runtime?
- Apollo-client has the smaller gzipped bundle at 15.4 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use apollo-client vs relay-runtime?
- Based on npm download statistics, Apollo-client has approximately 443.8K weekly downloads and Relay-runtime has approximately 5.5M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
- Which is better maintained, apollo-client or relay-runtime?
- Relay-runtime currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Apollo-client has a maintenance score of 20/100 and Relay-runtime scores 100/100 on maintenance.
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