What is react-apollo?

apollographql/react-apollo — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 6,801JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((react-apollo))
    Status
      Deprecated
      Merged into Apollo Client
      No new updates
    What it did
      React GraphQL integration
      Query caching
      UI data sync
    Tech Stack
      JavaScript
      React
      GraphQL
    Migration
      Use @apollo/client v3
      Follow migration guide

mindmap root((react-apollo)) Status Deprecated Merged into Apollo Client No new updates What it did React GraphQL integration Query caching UI data sync Tech Stack JavaScript React GraphQL Migration Use @apollo/client v3 Follow migration guide

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Migrate an old React app from the deprecated react-apollo package to the current @apollo/client version 3 or later

USE CASE 2

Understand what the old React Apollo component API looked like to help port legacy code to modern hooks

USE CASE 3

Reference the HOC-based component names and find their direct replacements in the new Apollo Client library

What is it built with?

JavaScriptReactGraphQL

How does it compare?

	apollographql/react-apollo	travist/jsencrypt	covid19india/covid19india.github.io
Stars	6,801	6,796	6,809
Language	JavaScript	JavaScript	JavaScript
Setup difficulty	easy	easy	easy
Complexity	2/5	2/5	2/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

This package is deprecated, use @apollo/client v3 instead, follow the migration guide in the Apollo Client repository.

So what is it?

React Apollo was a library that connected React web applications to GraphQL APIs. GraphQL is a way of fetching data from a server where you specify exactly what you need in a structured query, rather than calling a fixed endpoint that returns a predetermined response. React Apollo sat between a React front-end and a GraphQL server, handling the mechanics of sending queries, caching results, and keeping the UI up to date when data changed. This repository is now deprecated. The functionality it provided has been folded directly into the main Apollo Client package, available as @apollo/client version 3 and above. The README notes the old package names and their direct replacements in the new library, covering components, higher-order components, server-side rendering utilities, testing helpers, and React hooks. Version 4.0.0 was the final release of the standalone React Apollo packages. No further development will happen in this repository. Anyone still using the old packages is encouraged to follow the Apollo Client 3 migration guide to switch to the consolidated library. New issues and pull requests related to React and Apollo should go to the apollo-client repository instead.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I have a React app using the old react-apollo package with Query and Mutation components. Help me migrate it to @apollo/client v3 using useQuery and useMutation hooks.

Prompt 2

Show me the direct replacements for react-apollo's HOC-based components like graphql() when migrating to @apollo/client version 3.

Prompt 3

My legacy React app uses react-apollo for server-side rendering. Walk me through migrating the SSR setup to @apollo/client v3.

Prompt 4

What is the equivalent of react-apollo's ApolloProvider and ApolloConsumer in @apollo/client v3?

Frequently asked questions