Introduction to Apollo Server

📣 Apollo Server 5 is generally available!

Apollo Server 5 is a small upgrade focused largely on adjusting which dependency versions are supported. Upgrading from v4 to v5 usually only takes a few minutes. Because the behavior of Apollo Server has changed minimally between v4 and v5, these docs document both versions.

Still on Apollo Server 3? AS3 has been end-of-life since October 2024. We've got a full migration guide for upgrading directly from v3 to v5. Docs for v3 are available here.

Apollo Server is an open-source, spec-compliant GraphQL server that's compatible with any GraphQL client, including Apollo Client. It's the best way to build a production-ready, self-documenting GraphQL API that can use data from any source.

You can use Apollo Server as:

• The GraphQL server for a subgraph in a federated supergraph
• An add-on to any new or existing Node.js apps—this includes apps running on Express (including MERN stack apps), AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloudflare, Fastify, and more

Apollo Server provides:

• Straightforward setup, so your client developers can start fetching data quickly
• Incremental adoption, enabling you to add features as they're needed
• Universal compatibility with any data source, any build tool, and any GraphQL client
• Production readiness, enabling you to confidently run your graph in production

Ready to try it out?

<ButtonLink href="/apollo-server/getting-started" size="lg"> Get started! </ButtonLink>