The debate between GraphQL and REST continues to evolve. This guide provides a practical comparison to help you choose the right approach for your specific needs.
Understanding the Fundamentals#
REST Architecture#
REST (Representational State Transfer) uses standard HTTP methods to operate on resources:
1// REST endpoints
2GET /api/users // List users
3GET /api/users/123 // Get single user
4POST /api/users // Create user
5PUT /api/users/123 // Update user
6DELETE /api/users/123 // Delete user
7
8// Fetching user with posts requires multiple requests
9const user = await fetch('/api/users/123');
10const posts = await fetch('/api/users/123/posts');
11const comments = await fetch('/api/posts/456/comments');GraphQL Architecture#
GraphQL provides a single endpoint with a query language:
1# Single request gets exactly what you need
2query {
3 user(id: "123") {
4 name
5 email
6 posts {
7 title
8 comments {
9 text
10 author {
11 name
12 }
13 }
14 }
15 }
16}Key Differences#
Data Fetching#
REST: Multiple round trips for related data
1// N+1 problem in REST
2async function getUsersWithPosts() {
3 const users = await fetch('/api/users').then(r => r.json());
4
5 // Requires N additional requests
6 const usersWithPosts = await Promise.all(
7 users.map(async user => ({
8 ...user,
9 posts: await fetch(`/api/users/${user.id}/posts`).then(r => r.json())
10 }))
11 );
12
13 return usersWithPosts;
14}GraphQL: Single request with exact data
1const query = `
2 query {
3 users {
4 id
5 name
6 posts {
7 title
8 createdAt
9 }
10 }
11 }
12`;
13
14const { data } = await fetch('/graphql', {
15 method: 'POST',
16 headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
17 body: JSON.stringify({ query })
18}).then(r => r.json());Over-fetching and Under-fetching#
REST: Fixed response structures
1// GET /api/users/123 returns everything
2{
3 "id": 123,
4 "name": "John",
5 "email": "john@example.com",
6 "address": "...",
7 "phone": "...",
8 "createdAt": "...",
9 "updatedAt": "...",
10 "preferences": {...}
11}
12// Client only needed name and emailGraphQL: Request exactly what you need
1query {
2 user(id: "123") {
3 name
4 email
5 }
6}When to Choose REST#
REST excels in these scenarios:
Simple CRUD Operations#
1// REST is straightforward for simple APIs
2app.get('/api/products', async (req, res) => {
3 const products = await Product.findAll();
4 res.json(products);
5});
6
7app.post('/api/products', async (req, res) => {
8 const product = await Product.create(req.body);
9 res.status(201).json(product);
10});Caching Requirements#
REST leverages HTTP caching naturally:
1// Easy cache headers with REST
2app.get('/api/products/:id', async (req, res) => {
3 res.set('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=3600');
4 res.set('ETag', product.version);
5 res.json(product);
6});File Uploads and Downloads#
// REST handles binary data elegantly
app.post('/api/upload', upload.single('file'), (req, res) => {
res.json({ url: req.file.path });
});Public APIs#
REST's simplicity makes it ideal for third-party developers:
# Easy to understand and test
curl https://api.example.com/v1/usersWhen to Choose GraphQL#
GraphQL shines in these situations:
Complex Data Requirements#
1# Dashboard data in a single request
2query DashboardData {
3 currentUser {
4 name
5 notifications(unread: true) {
6 count
7 }
8 }
9 recentOrders(limit: 5) {
10 id
11 total
12 status
13 }
14 analytics {
15 dailyVisitors
16 conversionRate
17 }
18}Mobile Applications#
Bandwidth efficiency matters on mobile:
1# Mobile gets minimal data
2query MobileUser {
3 user(id: $id) {
4 name
5 avatar
6 }
7}
8
9# Desktop gets full profile
10query DesktopUser {
11 user(id: $id) {
12 name
13 avatar
14 bio
15 socialLinks
16 recentActivity
17 }
18}Rapid Frontend Development#
Frontend teams can iterate without backend changes:
1# Add new field without backend deployment
2query {
3 product(id: $id) {
4 name
5 price
6 # Just added by frontend team
7 relatedProducts {
8 name
9 price
10 }
11 }
12}Multiple Client Types#
1// Single GraphQL schema serves all clients
2const typeDefs = gql`
3 type Product {
4 id: ID!
5 name: String!
6 description: String!
7 price: Float!
8 inventory: Int! @auth(requires: ADMIN)
9 analytics: Analytics @auth(requires: MANAGER)
10 }
11`;Implementation Patterns#
GraphQL Server Setup#
1import { ApolloServer } from '@apollo/server';
2import { startStandaloneServer } from '@apollo/server/standalone';
3
4const typeDefs = `
5 type User {
6 id: ID!
7 name: String!
8 posts: [Post!]!
9 }
10
11 type Post {
12 id: ID!
13 title: String!
14 author: User!
15 }
16
17 type Query {
18 users: [User!]!
19 user(id: ID!): User
20 }
21`;
22
23const resolvers = {
24 Query: {
25 users: () => db.users.findAll(),
26 user: (_, { id }) => db.users.findById(id),
27 },
28 User: {
29 posts: (user) => db.posts.findByAuthor(user.id),
30 },
31};
32
33const server = new ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers });
34const { url } = await startStandaloneServer(server, { listen: { port: 4000 } });REST with OpenAPI#
1openapi: 3.0.0
2info:
3 title: User API
4 version: 1.0.0
5paths:
6 /users:
7 get:
8 summary: List users
9 responses:
10 '200':
11 description: Successful response
12 content:
13 application/json:
14 schema:
15 type: array
16 items:
17 $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'Performance Considerations#
GraphQL Challenges#
1// Prevent expensive queries
2const depthLimit = require('graphql-depth-limit');
3const costAnalysis = require('graphql-cost-analysis');
4
5const server = new ApolloServer({
6 typeDefs,
7 resolvers,
8 validationRules: [
9 depthLimit(10),
10 costAnalysis({ maximumCost: 1000 })
11 ],
12});REST Optimization#
1// Use sparse fieldsets
2// GET /api/users?fields=id,name,email
3
4app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
5 const fields = req.query.fields?.split(',');
6 const users = await User.findAll({
7 attributes: fields || undefined
8 });
9 res.json(users);
10});Hybrid Approaches#
Many teams use both:
// REST for simple CRUD
app.use('/api', restRouter);
// GraphQL for complex queries
app.use('/graphql', graphqlMiddleware);Decision Matrix#
| Factor | REST | GraphQL |
|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | Lower | Higher |
| Caching | Native HTTP | Custom |
| File handling | Simple | Complex |
| Mobile efficiency | Moderate | Excellent |
| Tooling maturity | Excellent | Good |
| Query flexibility | Limited | Excellent |
| Security surface | Smaller | Larger |
Conclusion#
Choose REST when you need simplicity, standard HTTP caching, or are building a public API. Choose GraphQL when you have complex data requirements, multiple clients, or need maximum flexibility. Many successful applications use both—there's no one-size-fits-all answer.