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Comparison guide

@tanstack/react-query vs Apollo-client vs Tanstack

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Tanstack

5.6 KB gzipped

Most Popular

@tanstack/react-query

51.1M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

@tanstack/react-query

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

@tanstack/react-query

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

@tanstack/react-query

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

@tanstack/react-query icon

@tanstack/react-query

Extremely Popular

Version 5.100.1

0
85
Excellent

Hooks for managing, caching and syncing asynchronous and remote data in React

Weekly Downloads
51.1M
48%
Bundle (gzip)
13.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Version 2.6.10

0
57
Fair

A simple yet functional GraphQL client.

Weekly Downloads
460.3K
19%
Bundle (gzip)
15.4 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
20
Popularity
80
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Version 2.0.3

0
67
Good

TanStack Player — A developer-first, universal Video Player SDK built on Video.js with headless hooks, plugin architecture, and React-first DX

Weekly Downloads
4.0K
17%
Bundle (gzip)
5.6 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
80
Popularity
40
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between @tanstack/react-query and Apollo-client and Tanstack? 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

@tanstack/react-query leads with 51.1M weekly downloads — roughly 111.1x more. Apollo-client has 460.3K weekly downloads. Tanstack has 4.0K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Tanstack has the smallest gzipped bundle at 5.6 KB. @tanstack/react-query comes in at 13.2 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

@tanstack/react-query has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Tanstack has an overall health score of 67/100 (good), with strong maintenance, security 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 @tanstack/react-query if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Apollo-client if you value strong security track record. Choose Tanstack if you value strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both @tanstack/react-query and Apollo-client and Tanstack are solid choices for JavaScript development. @tanstack/react-query 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 @tanstack/react-query better than apollo-client?
It depends on your needs. @tanstack/react-query has a health score of 85/100 while Apollo-client scores 57/100. @tanstack/react-query has more weekly downloads (51.1M), 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, @tanstack/react-query or apollo-client?
@tanstack/react-query has the smaller gzipped bundle at 13.2 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use @tanstack/react-query vs apollo-client?
Based on npm download statistics, @tanstack/react-query has approximately 51.1M weekly downloads and Apollo-client has approximately 460.3K weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, @tanstack/react-query or apollo-client?
@tanstack/react-query currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. @tanstack/react-query has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Apollo-client scores 20/100 on maintenance.

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