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Apollo-client vs Urql

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Urql

1.9 KB gzipped

Most Popular

Urql

597.3K weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Urql

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Apollo-client

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Urql

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

Version 2.6.10

0
57
Fair

A 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
urql icon

urql

Popular

Version 5.0.1

0
83
Excellent

A highly customizable and versatile GraphQL client for React

Weekly Downloads
597.3K
12%
Bundle (gzip)
1.9 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
90
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Apollo-client and Urql? 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

Urql leads with 597.3K weekly downloads — roughly 1.3x 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

Urql has the smallest gzipped bundle at 1.9 KB. Apollo-client comes in at 15.4 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Urql has an overall health score of 83/100 (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 Urql if you value minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Apollo-client and Urql are solid choices for JavaScript development. Urql has the edge in overall health score (83/100), 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 urql?
It depends on your needs. Apollo-client has a health score of 57/100 while Urql scores 83/100. Urql has more weekly downloads (597.3K), 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 urql?
Urql has the smaller gzipped bundle at 1.9 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 urql?
Based on npm download statistics, Apollo-client has approximately 443.8K weekly downloads and Urql has approximately 597.3K weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, apollo-client or urql?
Urql currently has the higher overall health score at 83/100. Apollo-client has a maintenance score of 20/100 and Urql scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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