Offline-first app with GraphQL: React Relay vs. URQL

— A too good answer from perplexity.ai not to share, so here it is: Here’s a comparison of using React Relay (with or without react-relay-offline) versus Urql with Graphcache for building offline-first apps: React Relay (Manual or with react-relay-offline) Pros: Relay’s Strengths: Built for GraphQL with optimized performance and normalized caching out of the box. Customizability (Manual): Full control over offline persistence, mutation queuing, and cache management when implementing manually. Out-of-the-Box Offline Support (react-relay-offline): Simplifies offline functionality with features like mutation queuing, retries, and cache persistence. Optimistic Updates: Easy to implement optimistic responses for better user experience during offline operations. Cons: Complexity (Manual): Manual implementation requires significant effort to handle caching, persistence, and retries. Bundle Size (react-relay-offline): Adds ~16.4 kB to the app size. Learning Curve: React Relay has a steeper learning curve compared to Urql due to its strict architecture and reliance on GraphQL fragments. Urql with Graphcache Pros: Modular Design: Urql’s exchange-based architecture allows flexibility in adding offline support using the offlineExchange from Graphcache. Graphcache Features: Provides normalized caching, automatic updates based on schema, and offline persistence through storage layers like AsyncStorage or IndexedDB. Simplified Setup: Adding offline support is straightforward by configuring offlineExchange with storage (e.g., @urql/storage-rn for React Native). Optimistic Updates: Supports optimistic responses and cache updates for seamless offline behavior. Cons: Custom Logic for Mutations: Offline mutations may require more manual handling (e.g., queuing failed mutations) compared to libraries like react-relay-offline. Limited Offline Mutation Handling: Mutations are only optimistically updated locally; if the server is unreachable during retries, changes may not persist unless custom logic is added[2][8]. Schema Dependency: Requires a well-defined schema for effective caching and updates. Key Differences Feature React Relay (Manual) React Relay (react-relay-offline) Urql with Graphcache Ease of Setup High complexity Medium complexity Low complexity Offline Query Caching Manual setup Automatic Automatic Mutation Queuing & Retry Manual implementation Built-in Requires custom handling[8] Persistence Options Custom storage logic needed Pre-configured options Pre-configured options Optimistic Updates Manual Built-in Built-in Network Monitoring Manual Built-in hooks Built-in Customization Full Moderate High Bundle Size Impact Minimal +16.4 kB Minimal Recommendation Use React Relay with react-relay-offline if: You are already using React Relay and need robust offline support with minimal additional setup. You require built-in mutation queuing and retry mechanisms. Use Urql with Graphcache if: You prefer a lightweight, modular library with flexibility in customizing exchanges. Your app primarily focuses on query caching and optimistic updates but can handle custom logic for mutation retries. Choose Manual React Relay Implementation if: You need full control over every aspect of offline functionality without relying on third-party libraries. Citations: [1] https://www.npmjs.com/package/@urql%2Fstorage-rn [2] https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/discussions/2186 [3] https://egghead.io/lessons/react-native-add-read-only-offline-support-using-the-offline-exchange-from-urql-graphcache [4] https://commerce.nearform.com/open-source/urql/docs/graphcache/offline/ [5] https://www.reddit.com/r/graphql/comments/muyh6w/is_graphql_a_wrong_choice_for_offlinefirst_apps/ [6] https://kitten.sh/graphql-normalized-caching [7] https://docs.shopsys.com/en/15.0/storefront/caching/graphcache/ [8] https://egghead.io/lessons/graphql-create-a-custom-exchange-for-urql-to-filter-out-mutations-when-offline

Feb 25, 2025 - 12:53

Offline-first app with GraphQL: React Relay vs. URQL

— A too good answer from perplexity.ai not to share, so here it is:

Here’s a comparison of using React Relay (with or without react-relay-offline) versus Urql with Graphcache for building offline-first apps:

React Relay (Manual or with `react-relay-offline`)

Pros:

Relay’s Strengths: Built for GraphQL with optimized performance and normalized caching out of the box.
Customizability (Manual): Full control over offline persistence, mutation queuing, and cache management when implementing manually.
Out-of-the-Box Offline Support (react-relay-offline): Simplifies offline functionality with features like mutation queuing, retries, and cache persistence.
Optimistic Updates: Easy to implement optimistic responses for better user experience during offline operations.

Cons:

Complexity (Manual): Manual implementation requires significant effort to handle caching, persistence, and retries.
Bundle Size (react-relay-offline): Adds ~16.4 kB to the app size.
Learning Curve: React Relay has a steeper learning curve compared to Urql due to its strict architecture and reliance on GraphQL fragments.

Urql with Graphcache

Pros:

Modular Design: Urql’s exchange-based architecture allows flexibility in adding offline support using the offlineExchange from Graphcache.
Graphcache Features: Provides normalized caching, automatic updates based on schema, and offline persistence through storage layers like AsyncStorage or IndexedDB.
Simplified Setup: Adding offline support is straightforward by configuring offlineExchange with storage (e.g., @urql/storage-rn for React Native).
Optimistic Updates: Supports optimistic responses and cache updates for seamless offline behavior.

Cons:

Custom Logic for Mutations: Offline mutations may require more manual handling (e.g., queuing failed mutations) compared to libraries like react-relay-offline.
Limited Offline Mutation Handling: Mutations are only optimistically updated locally; if the server is unreachable during retries, changes may not persist unless custom logic is added[2][8].
Schema Dependency: Requires a well-defined schema for effective caching and updates.

Key Differences

Feature	React Relay (Manual)	React Relay (`react-relay-offline`)	Urql with Graphcache
Ease of Setup	High complexity	Medium complexity	Low complexity
Offline Query Caching	Manual setup	Automatic	Automatic
Mutation Queuing & Retry	Manual implementation	Built-in	Requires custom handling[8]
Persistence Options	Custom storage logic needed	Pre-configured options	Pre-configured options
Optimistic Updates	Manual	Built-in	Built-in
Network Monitoring	Manual	Built-in hooks	Built-in
Customization	Full	Moderate	High
Bundle Size Impact	Minimal	+16.4 kB	Minimal

Recommendation

Use React Relay with react-relay-offline if:
- You are already using React Relay and need robust offline support with minimal additional setup.
- You require built-in mutation queuing and retry mechanisms.
Use Urql with Graphcache if:
- You prefer a lightweight, modular library with flexibility in customizing exchanges.
- Your app primarily focuses on query caching and optimistic updates but can handle custom logic for mutation retries.
Choose Manual React Relay Implementation if:
- You need full control over every aspect of offline functionality without relying on third-party libraries.

Citations:
[1] https://www.npmjs.com/package/@urql%2Fstorage-rn
[2] https://github.com/urql-graphql/urql/discussions/2186
[3] https://egghead.io/lessons/react-native-add-read-only-offline-support-using-the-offline-exchange-from-urql-graphcache
[4] https://commerce.nearform.com/open-source/urql/docs/graphcache/offline/
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/graphql/comments/muyh6w/is_graphql_a_wrong_choice_for_offlinefirst_apps/
[6] https://kitten.sh/graphql-normalized-caching
[7] https://docs.shopsys.com/en/15.0/storefront/caching/graphcache/
[8] https://egghead.io/lessons/graphql-create-a-custom-exchange-for-urql-to-filter-out-mutations-when-offline