REST vs GraphQL — When to Use Which?
REST vs GraphQL — When to Use Which?
𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 (𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫)
A resource-based API style using multiple endpoints.
Different URLs represent different resources — /users, /orders, /products
Pros:
- Simple, predictable, widely adopted
- Caches well at HTTP layer (CDNs, proxies)
- Easy to reason about and debug
Cons:
- Over-fetching (you get more than you need)
- Under-fetching (you need multiple calls for one screen)
- Evolving versions often need /v1, /v2 style endpoints
Best For: Public APIs, CRUD services, simple domain models
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐐𝐋
A query language for APIs with a single endpoint: /graphql
Client asks exactly for the fields it needs in a single query.
Pros:
- No over/under-fetching. The client controls shape of data
- One round trip for complex UI screens
- Strong schema + introspection = great developer experience
Cons:
- Harder caching (no URL per response)
- More complex backend + performance tuning
- Needs stronger query guardrails to avoid abuse (N+1, deep queries)
Best For: Complex UIs, mobile apps, microservices aggregation, product teams iterating fast
𝐈𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭:
- Use REST when simplicity, caching, and stability matter.
- Use GraphQL when clients need flexibility and efficiency across many data sources.
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