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Introduction to Apollo Server
Learn how to build scalable, production-ready GraphQL APIs
📣 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.
We recommend that all users of previous versions of Apollo Server upgrade to Apollo Server 5 as soon as possible. Apollo Server 4 has been end-of-life since January 26, 2026. Refer to the migration guide for upgrading from v4 or upgrading from v3.
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