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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

  1. apollo-server

    Production ready GraphQL Server

    158.9K weekly downloads · 397.6 KB gzip · Health 57/100

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  2. 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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