Apollo GraphQL
Apollo GraphQL operates Apollo GraphOS, a cloud-native GraphQL API orchestration platform that unifies APIs, microservices, and databases into a federated supergraph for enterprise platform engineering and AI agent workflows, monetized via usage-based and subscription pricing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Apollo GraphQL does
Apollo GraphQL operates Apollo GraphOS, a cloud-native API orchestration platform built on Apollo Federation that unifies REST and GraphQL APIs, microservices, and databases into a single composable "supergraph." The platform consists of two main planes: GraphOS Studio, a web-based management plane for schema design, schema proposals, checks, linting, and observability; and the GraphOS Router, an enterprise-grade, multithreaded, Rust-based runtime that distributes queries across the federated graph and is claimed to deliver 10x higher throughput than its predecessor Apollo Gateway. Layered onto this core are Apollo Connectors (declarative GraphQL orchestration for REST APIs using schema directives), the Apollo MCP Server (which implements the Model Context Protocol to expose existing GraphQL operations as tools for AI agents such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor), the Apollo GraphOS Operator (a Kubernetes Operator for declarative runtime management), and the GraphOS Platform API. Around the commercial core, Apollo publishes open-source SDKs (Apollo Client for React/Web, Apollo iOS, Apollo Kotlin), the Apollo Server Node.js library, Apollo Router Core, and the Rover CLI.
The company monetizes primarily through usage-based API request metering combined with recurring subscription fees across four plans. Pricing is tiered by volume from $5.00 per million requests at the low end down to $3.00 per million above 5 billion requests, with an optional performance add-on (+$2.00 to +$0.50 per million). The Free tier (up to 3 users, 1-day data retention, community support) and the $50 signup credit drive a self-serve product-led funnel, while the Developer tier ($5/M, up to 10 users) feeds Standard and Enterprise contracts (custom pricing, unlimited users, business support 24x7x365 with SLAs, 18-month data retention). Go-to-market combines self-serve PLG with enterprise field sales and a community-led developer motion anchored by the Apollo Community, GitHub open-source projects, the Connector Library, and a co-founding role in the GraphQL Foundation. The customer base spans a Fortune 500-heavy roster including Netflix, PayPal, Walmart, Expedia, Booking.com, Wayfair, Cox Automotive, Volvo, Intuit, Coinbase, Bumble, Yahoo, and Indeed, with over 1 trillion GraphQL operations processed monthly across the platform.
Apollo is venture-backed (Apollo Graph Inc., d/b/a Apollo GraphQL), having raised approximately $183 million across funding rounds, including a $130 million Series D in August 2021 at a post-money valuation exceeding $1.5 billion led by Insight Partners. The most recent strategic emphasis has been on AI-readiness, with the launch of the Apollo MCP Server in May 2025, the general availability of Apollo Connectors and GraphOS Router 2.0 in February 2025, co-founding of the GraphQL Foundation's AI Working Group in October 2025, and joining the Agentic AI Foundation as a Silver member in February 2026. The company is headquartered in San Francisco with 101–250 employees and operates as an independent private company, with the only disclosed acquisition being the 2014 purchase of FathomDB.
Apollo GraphQL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apollo GraphQL
- Legal name
- Apollo Graph Inc.
- Website
- https://apollographql.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Apollo GraphQL operates Apollo GraphOS, a cloud-native GraphQL API orchestration platform that unifies APIs, microservices, and databases into a federated supergraph for enterprise platform engineering and AI agent workflows, monetized via usage-based and subscription pricing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apollo GraphQL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- API Orchestration Platform
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)
Keywords
Where Apollo GraphQL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Apollo GraphQL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Usage-based API request metering: Primary revenue model charging per million GraphQL operations processed through GraphOS Router, Apollo Server, Apollo Gateway, or other runtimes. Volume-tiered pricing from $5.00/M for the first 250M requests down to $3.00/M above 5B requests, plus an optional performance add-on (Response Caching, Distributed Query Plan, APQ Caching). Subscription update events are metered separately at $2.00/M down to $0.50/M. Drives land-and-expand economics as customers scale workloads.
- Subscription tier fees (Developer, Standard, Enterprise): Recurring platform subscription tiers with feature gating. Developer tier is self-serve starting at $5/M requests. Standard and Enterprise tiers are contract-based with custom pricing, expanding to unlimited users, 90-day to 18-month data retention, business support with SLAs, audit logs, SSO/SAML, multiple orgs per subscription, and add-on Professional Services and Premium Support packages.
- Freemium tier: Forever-Free tier (up to 3 users, 1-day data retention, rate-limited self-hosted router, no credit card required) plus $50 in signup credit to drive Developer tier conversion. Functions as top-of-funnel acquisition with conversion into Developer, Standard, and Enterprise contracts.
- Professional Services: Enterprise add-on for API experts to assist with onboarding, complex implementations, schema design, and best practices, plus hands-on GraphQL tutorials and training via Apollo Odyssey.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free tier - Forever free for students/hobbyists, up to 3 users, 1-day data retention, rate-limited self-hosted router (60 RPM), community support. |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Developer tier - Starting at $5 per million requests for small teams operating a production GraphQL API. |
| Hybrid | Annual | Standard tier - Custom pricing for scaling GraphQL platforms across multiple teams and services. |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Enterprise tier - Custom pricing for companies with large-scale GraphQL initiatives. |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Apollo GraphQL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apollo GraphOS is a cloud-native API orchestration platform that unifies REST and GraphQL services into a single composable "supergraph" using Apollo Federation. It comprises a management plane (GraphOS Studio with schema collaboration, checks, and insights) and a runtime plane (GraphOS Router, a multithreaded Rust-based engine), augmented by Apollo Connectors for declarative REST integration, Apollo MCP Server to expose GraphQL operations as Model Context Protocol tools for AI agents, and the Apollo GraphOS Operator for Kubernetes-native runtime management.
Product overview
Apollo GraphOS is a unified, cloud-native API orchestration platform composed of a commercial core platform and a portfolio of integrated modules and open-source products. The flagship offering, Apollo GraphOS, is anchored by two planes: GraphOS Studio (the web-based management plane with the Studio Explorer IDE, Schema Proposals, Schema Checks, Linting, and GraphOS Insights) and the Apollo GraphOS Router (the enterprise-grade, multithreaded runtime plane supporting Apollo Federation 2). Layered onto this core are Apollo Connectors (declarative GraphQL orchestration for REST APIs), the Apollo MCP Server (which turns GraphQL operations into MCP tools for AI agents), and the Apollo GraphOS Operator (a Kubernetes operator for declarative runtime management). Automation is exposed via the GraphOS Platform API, a public GraphQL API. The Apollo Connectors Library provides prebuilt connectors for services such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Stripe, AWS DynamoDB, AWS Lambda, Strapi, and OData. Around this commercial core, Apollo publishes open-source client SDKs (Apollo Client for React/Web, Apollo iOS, Apollo Kotlin), the Apollo Server Node.js library, the Apollo Router Core, and the Rover CLI for command-line graph interaction. The platform is sold in four plans (Free, Developer, Standard, Enterprise) with usage-based pricing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Apollo GraphOS: Cloud-native API orchestration platform for managing, observing, and scaling GraphQL supergraphs.
- Apollo Connectors
- Apollo MCP Server
- Apollo Client
- Apollo Server
- GraphOS Router
- Apollo GraphOS Operator
Products and services
- Apollo GraphOS Cloud-native API orchestration platform for AI agents, web, and mobile apps, built on Apollo Federation. Comprises GraphOS Studio (management plane) and GraphOS Router (runtime plane) with sub-products including Apollo Connectors, Apollo MCP Server, and Apollo GraphOS Operator. Sold in Free, Developer, Standard, and Enterprise plans.
- Apollo GraphOS Router Enterprise-grade, multithreaded Rust-based runtime plane for Apollo GraphOS that distributes inbound queries across a federated supergraph with turnkey security, observability, performance, and customization features. Claims 10x faster and 10x higher throughput than predecessor Apollo Gateway.
- Apollo Connectors Declarative GraphQL orchestration layer for REST APIs that lets teams integrate REST endpoints into a federated GraphQL graph using GraphQL schema directives, eliminating boilerplate resolvers and the need for a separate GraphQL server.
- Apollo MCP Server Implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) on top of GraphQL to turn existing GraphQL operations into MCP tools that any MCP-compatible AI client (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or custom agents) can discover and call instantly. Includes the MCP Apps framework for building interactive React apps in AI conversations.
- Apollo GraphOS Operator Kubernetes operator that declaratively deploys and manages GraphOS Runtime environments, automates schema publishing/composition/deployment, and supports progressive rollouts, instant rollbacks, and GitOps-friendly workflows.
- GraphOS Studio Web-based management interface for the GraphOS platform that streamlines schema collaboration (Studio Explorer, Schema Proposals, Schema Checks, Linting), centralized schema management, integrated CI/CD workflows, observability, and developer tools.
- GraphOS Platform API Public GraphQL API for automating GraphOS tasks from custom applications, including fetching graph details, publishing schemas (rate-limited to 400 requests per minute per graph), running schema checks, managing schema proposals, API keys, persisted query lists, and viewing operation and field insights.
- Apollo Router Core Open-source, self-hosted version of the Apollo Router that runs GraphQL federation without the management features of the commercial GraphOS Router.
- Apollo Server Open-source, spec-compliant Node.js GraphQL server library for building production-ready GraphQL APIs with built-in plugins for caching, usage reporting, schema reporting, and federated subscriptions.
- Apollo Client Open-source GraphQL client for web (React) that simplifies GraphQL data management with normalized caching, declarative data fetching (queries, mutations, subscriptions), React hooks, pagination, local state management, and integrations with Next.js, React Router, TanStack Start, and React Native.
- Apollo iOS Swift-first GraphQL client for iOS with code generation, normalized caching, WebSocket subscriptions, pagination, custom scalars, and file uploads.
- Apollo Kotlin Kotlin-first GraphQL client for Android and JVM with normalized caches, declarative/programmatic cache IDs, persisted queries, batching, multipart file uploads, and an Android Studio plugin.
- Rover CLI Command-line interface for interacting with Apollo graphs, including commands for API keys, configuration, connector management, contracts, persisted queries, schemas, subgraphs, supergraphs, and CI/CD integration.
- Apollo Professional Services Enterprise add-on service where API experts assist with onboarding, complex implementations, schema design, and best practices, plus hands-on GraphQL tutorials and training via Apollo Odyssey.
Quantifiable outcome
- Apollo Connectors saved Cox Automotive over one million dollars in development costs with a 2-day implementation time versus a yearlong software rewrite.
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Apollo GraphQL
Customer profileNamed customers35 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Apollo GraphQL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration23 records
AI capability5 records
Feature7 records
Apollo GraphQL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- PostmancorePartnering with Apollo to advance the Model Context Protocol (MCP) ecosystem for agent-to-API integration. Mentioned as one of Apollo's named MCP ecosystem collaborators alongside WorkOS and Canva.
- WorkOScorePartnering with Apollo to advance the Model Context Protocol (MCP) ecosystem for agent-to-API integration. Mentioned as one of Apollo's named MCP ecosystem collaborators alongside Postman and Canva.
- CanvacorePartnering with Apollo to advance the Model Context Protocol (MCP) ecosystem for agent-to-API integration. Mentioned as one of Apollo's named MCP ecosystem collaborators alongside Postman and WorkOS.
- Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF)coreApollo joined AAIF as a Silver member in February 2026 to support the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard for connecting AI applications to tools, data, and applications.
- GraphQL FoundationflagshipApollo co-founded the GraphQL Foundation's AI Working Group in October 2025 to advance AI-to-API integration standards and the MCP ecosystem.
- AnthropiccoreProvides a prebuilt Apollo Connector for Anthropic's LLM API, allowing Apollo customers to declaratively integrate Anthropic into their federated GraphQL graphs.
- OpenAIcoreProvides a prebuilt Apollo Connector for the OpenAI LLM API, enabling declarative integration of OpenAI services into federated GraphQL graphs.
- AWS DynamoDBcoreProvides a prebuilt Apollo Connector for AWS DynamoDB serverless NoSQL database service.
- AWS LambdacoreProvides a prebuilt Apollo Connector for AWS Lambda serverless compute service.
- StripecoreProvides a prebuilt Apollo Connector for the Stripe payments platform.
- DatadogcoreDatadog integration for APM, metrics forwarding, and observability of Apollo Router. GraphOS Studio offers a Datadog integration to forward graph performance metrics. Apollo Operator also integrates directly with Datadog for monitoring.
- KubernetescoreApollo GraphOS Operator is a Kubernetes-native operator for declaratively deploying and managing GraphOS Runtime fleets with safe rollouts, autoscaling, and GitOps-friendly workflows.
- AWScoreApollo Router deployable on AWS ECS as documented in Apollo's deployment guides.
- Microsoft AzurecoreApollo Router deployable on Azure Container Apps as documented in Apollo's deployment guides.
- Google Cloud PlatformcoreApollo Router deployable on Google Cloud Run as documented in Apollo's deployment guides.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Apollo GraphQL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Apollo GraphQL social profiles
Digital presenceApollo GraphQL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apollo GraphQL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Apollo GraphQL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors16 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apollo GraphQL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apollo GraphQL
What does Apollo GraphQL do?
Apollo GraphOS is a cloud-native API orchestration platform that unifies REST and GraphQL services into a single composable "supergraph" using Apollo Federation. It comprises a management plane (GraphOS Studio with schema collaboration, checks, and insights) and a runtime plane (GraphOS Router, a multithreaded Rust-based engine), augmented by Apollo Connectors for declarative REST integration, Apollo MCP Server to expose GraphQL operations as Model Context Protocol tools for AI agents, and the Apollo GraphOS Operator for Kubernetes-native runtime management.
Is Apollo GraphQL a public or private company?
Apollo GraphQL is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Apollo GraphQL founded?
Apollo GraphQL was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Apollo GraphQL based?
Apollo GraphQL is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Apollo GraphQL make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Usage-based API request metering is the primary driver. The others are subscription tier fees (Developer, Standard, Enterprise), freemium tier and professional Services.
Does Apollo GraphQL have an API?
Yes. The GraphOS Platform API is a public GraphQL API that enables developers to automate GraphOS tasks from custom applications. Supported actions include fetching details about an organization's graphs; publishing schemas to new or existing variants (rate limited to 400 requests per minute, per graph); running schema checks and obtaining results; creating and editing schema proposals including adding reviewers; removing variants or subgraphs from a graph/supergraph; managing API keys; CRUD operations on persisted query lists (including linking to variants and publishing operations); changing GraphOS Studio session length for an organization's users; and viewing operation and field insights. The Platform API is itself represented as a public graph in GraphOS Studio. Apollo also offers the Apollo MCP Server, which implements the Model Context Protocol to turn GraphQL operations into MCP tools that any MCP-compatible AI client (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or custom agents) can discover and call. OAuth 2.1 authorization is supported for MCP server connections. Developer documentation is at studio.apollographql.com/public/apollo-platform/home?variant=main.
What industry is Apollo GraphQL in?
Apollo GraphQL's product category is API Orchestration Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAA, End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.