Comparison guide
Apollo-server vs Mercurius
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Quick Verdict
Smallest Bundle
Mercurius
177.7 KB gzipped
Most Popular
Mercurius
265.0K weekly downloads
Best Maintained
Mercurius
100/100 maintenance score
Highest Quality
Apollo-server
50/100 quality score
Overall Pick
Mercurius
Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality
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mercurius
Fastify GraphQL adapter with subscription support
265.0K weekly downloads · 177.7 KB gzip · Health 81/100
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Choosing between Apollo-server and Mercurius? 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
Mercurius leads with 265.0K weekly downloads — roughly 1.7x more. Apollo-server has 158.9K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Mercurius has the smallest gzipped bundle at 177.7 KB. Apollo-server comes in at 397.6 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Mercurius has an overall health score of 81/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Apollo-server 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-server if you value strong security track record. Choose Mercurius if you value actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Apollo-server and Mercurius are solid choices for JavaScript development. Mercurius has the edge in overall health score (81/100), 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-server better than mercurius?
- It depends on your needs. Apollo-server has a health score of 57/100 while Mercurius scores 81/100. Mercurius has more recorded weekly downloads (265.0K). 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-server or mercurius?
- Mercurius has the smaller gzipped bundle at 177.7 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use apollo-server vs mercurius?
- Mercurius has more recorded weekly downloads (265.0K). Download counts reflect package installations, not unique developers.
- Which is better maintained, apollo-server or mercurius?
- Mercurius has a maintenance score of 100/100. Apollo-server scores 20/100 and Mercurius scores 100/100 on maintenance.
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The 2026 JavaScript Stack Cheatsheet
One PDF: the best package for every category (ORMs, bundlers, auth, testing, state management). Used by 500+ devs. Free, updated monthly.

