fix(vue): DataClientPlugin garbage collects by default

.agents/skills/data-client-setup/references/DataClientPlugin.md

@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ ctrl.doSomething();
 
 ### gcPolicy?: GCInterface {#gcPolicy}
 
-Removes data from the store once no component uses it and it has gone stale. By default, nothing
-is ever removed.
+Removes data from the store once no component uses it and it has gone stale. Defaults to
+`new GCPolicy()`; pass one to change how often it sweeps or how long unused data is kept.
 
 ```ts title="main.ts"
 import { DataClientPlugin, GCPolicy } from '@data-client/vue';

.agents/skills/data-client-vue/references/DataClientPlugin.md

@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ ctrl.doSomething();
 
 ### gcPolicy?: GCInterface {#gcPolicy}
 
-Removes data from the store once no component uses it and it has gone stale. By default, nothing
-is ever removed.
+Removes data from the store once no component uses it and it has gone stale. Defaults to
+`new GCPolicy()`; pass one to change how often it sweeps or how long unused data is kept.
 
 ```ts title="main.ts"
 import { DataClientPlugin, GCPolicy } from '@data-client/vue';

.changeset/vue-default-gcpolicy.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+'@data-client/vue': patch
+---
+
+`DataClientPlugin` garbage collects by default
+
+Previously, unused data was only removed from the store if you passed a `gcPolicy` yourself. It now defaults
+to `new GCPolicy()`, matching `DataProvider` in `@data-client/react`, so you can drop the option unless you
+customize it.
+
+Before
+
+```ts
+import { DataClientPlugin, GCPolicy } from '@data-client/vue';
+
+app.use(DataClientPlugin, { gcPolicy: new GCPolicy() });
+```
+
+After
+
+```ts
+import { DataClientPlugin } from '@data-client/vue';
+
+app.use(DataClientPlugin);
+```

docs/core/api/DataClientPlugin.vue.md

@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ ctrl.doSomething();
 
 ### gcPolicy?: GCInterface {#gcPolicy}
 
-Removes data from the store once no component uses it and it has gone stale. By default, nothing
-is ever removed.
+Removes data from the store once no component uses it and it has gone stale. Defaults to
+`new GCPolicy()`; pass one to change how often it sweeps or how long unused data is kept.
 
 ```ts title="main.ts"
 import { DataClientPlugin, GCPolicy } from '@data-client/vue';

packages/vue/src/__tests__/integration-garbage-collection.web.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { GCPolicy } from '@data-client/core';
-import { defineComponent, h } from 'vue';
+import { defineComponent, h, reactive } from 'vue';
 
 import { Article, ArticleResource } from '../../../../__tests__/new';
 import useFetch from '../consumers/useFetch';
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ describe('Integration Garbage Collection Web (Vue)', () => {
   });
   afterEach(() => {
     infoSpy.mockRestore();
+    jest.useRealTimers();
   });
 
   it('should initialize with GCPolicy', () => {
@@ -191,4 +192,47 @@ describe('Integration Garbage Collection Web (Vue)', () => {
 
     cleanup2();
   });
+
+  it('removes unused stale data without passing a gcPolicy', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+    const ArticleDetail = defineComponent({
+      name: 'ArticleDetail',
+      setup() {
+        const article = useQuery(Article, { id: 1 });
+        return () => h('div', article.value?.title ?? 'missing');
+      },
+    });
+    const props = reactive({ show: true });
+    const TestComp = defineComponent({
+      name: 'TestComp',
+      props: ['show'],
+      setup(props) {
+        return () => (props.show ? h(ArticleDetail) : h('div', 'blank'));
+      },
+    });
+
+    const { wrapper, controller, cleanup } = mountDataClient(TestComp, {
+      props,
+      initialFixtures: [
+        {
+          endpoint: ArticleResource.get,
+          args: [{ id: 1 }],
+          response: { id: 1, title: 'Test Article', content: 'Content' },
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    await wrapper.vm.$nextTick();
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Test Article');
+
+    props.show = false;
+    await wrapper.vm.$nextTick();
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('blank');
+
+    // default GCPolicy sweeps every 5 minutes; data must also be stale
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(60 * 1000 * 5);
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(controller.getState().entities.Article?.['1']).toBeUndefined();
+
+    cleanup();
+  });
 });

packages/vue/src/providers/createDataClient.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   applyManager,
   initManager,
   createReducer,
+  GCPolicy,
 } from '@data-client/core';
 import type { State, Manager, GCInterface } from '@data-client/core';
 import { provide, shallowRef, type ShallowRef, type App } from 'vue';
@@ -40,7 +41,11 @@ export interface ProvidedDataClient {
 export function createDataClient(
   options: ProvideOptions = {},
 ): ProvidedDataClient {
-  const { Controller = DataController, gcPolicy, app } = options;
+  const {
+    Controller = DataController,
+    gcPolicy = new GCPolicy(),
+    app,
+  } = options;
 
   // stable singletons for this provider scope
   const controller = new Controller({ gcPolicy });

website/blog/2026-10-03-v0.19-batch-set.md

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ endpoint code about 2x faster, and fixes a round of TypeScript and Vue issues.
 - Vue [useSuspense()](/vue/api/useSuspense) [shows stale data on mount](/blog/2026/10/03/v0.19-batch-set#vue-stale-while-revalidate) and refetches in the background, like React, instead of showing the `<Suspense>` fallback until the refetch finishes ([#4169](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4169))
 - Vue [useDLE()](/vue/api/useDLE) and [useCache()](/vue/api/useCache) keep expired `invalidIfStale` data through unrelated store updates instead of getting stuck loading ([#4142](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4142))
 - Vue `DataClientPlugin` installs on Vue versions before 3.5 instead of throwing `app.onUnmount is not a function` ([#4146](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4146))
+- Vue [DataClientPlugin](/vue/api/DataClientPlugin#gcPolicy) garbage collects by default, matching React's [DataProvider](/docs/api/DataProvider), so you no longer need to pass `gcPolicy`; [how it decides what to remove](/blog/2026/10/03/v0.19-batch-set#vue-gc) ([#4148](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4148))
 - Vue composables accept [getter arguments](/blog/2026/10/03/v0.19-batch-set#vue-getter-args) like `() => ({ id: props.id })`; they were typed to allow them but passed the function itself to the endpoint ([#4115](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4115))
 - Fix `Cannot find name 'NoInfer'` and `export type` errors on TypeScript 4.x with `skipLibCheck` off ([#4138](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4138))
 - Fix `Entity`, `Endpoint`, `Union` and `RestEndpoint` type errors on TypeScript 4.0–4.5 with `skipLibCheck` off ([#4140](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4140))
@@ -420,6 +421,51 @@ This applies to every composable that takes endpoint arguments: [useSuspense()](
 [useLive()](/vue/api/useLive), [useCache()](/vue/api/useCache), [useDLE()](/vue/api/useDLE),
 [useFetch()](/vue/api/useFetch), [useQuery()](/vue/api/useQuery) and [useSubscription()](/vue/api/useSubscription).
 
+### Vue garbage collects by default {#vue-gc}
+
+Vue's [DataClientPlugin](/vue/api/DataClientPlugin#gcPolicy) only removed unused data if you passed a `gcPolicy`
+yourself. It now defaults to `new GCPolicy()`, the same as React's [DataProvider](/docs/api/DataProvider), so you can
+drop the option unless you customize it ([#4148](https://github.com/reactive/data-client/pull/4148)).
+
+<DiffEditor>
+
+```ts title="Before"
+import { DataClientPlugin, GCPolicy } from '@data-client/vue';
+
+app.use(DataClientPlugin, { gcPolicy: new GCPolicy() });
+```
+
+```ts title="After"
+import { DataClientPlugin } from '@data-client/vue';
+
+app.use(DataClientPlugin);
+```
+
+</DiffEditor>
+
+Data is removed only when no mounted component reads it _and_ twice its freshness lifetime has passed since it was
+fetched (at least two minutes). A sweep checks every five minutes. Anything a component reads again before then is
+back in use.
+
+<center>
+
+<div style={{maxWidth:'640px'}}>
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+  inuse("In use") -- "last reader unmounts" --> unused("Unused")
+  unused -- "2x lifetime passes" --> old("Unused and old")
+  old -- "next sweep" --> removed("Removed")
+```
+
+</div>
+
+</center>
+
+A component that mounts after removal treats the data as never fetched: [useSuspense()](/vue/api/useSuspense) fetches
+it again, while [useCache()](/vue/api/useCache) returns `undefined`. To keep unused data longer or sweep less often,
+pass your own [gcPolicy](/vue/api/DataClientPlugin#gcPolicy).
+
 ### Vue stale-while-revalidate {#vue-stale-while-revalidate}
 
 When a component mounts with data that is [stale](/docs/concepts/expiry-policy#stale) but still valid, Vue