GraphQL vs REST: A Comprehensive Comparison for API Design
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For decades, REST (Representational State Transfer) has been the standard for designing APIs. However, the rise of complex front-end requirements and mobile apps led Facebook to develop GraphQL. Which one should you choose?
REST is an architectural style that uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). It is resource-oriented.
Pros:
Cons:
GraphQL is a query language for your API. It provides a complete description of the data in your API and gives clients the power to ask for exactly what they need.
Pros:
Cons:
Imagine you need to display a user profile with their latest 5 comments.
You typically need multiple endpoints:
GET /users/123 to get user details (name, avatar).GET /users/123/comments?limit=5 to get the comments.Response 1 might be 2KB of JSON containing address, phone number, and history (which you don't need). This is Over-fetching. Making two separate HTTP calls adds latency. This is Under-fetching (the first call wasn't enough).
With GraphQL, you send a single query to /graphql:
query {
user(id: "123") {
name
avatarUrl
comments(last: 5) {
body
createdAt
}
}
}
The server returns exactly what you asked for, in a single JSON response. No more, no less.
REST: Relies on HTTP status codes (200 OK, 404 Not Found, 500 Server Error).
GraphQL: Always returns 200 OK (usually). Errors are returned in a separate errors array in the JSON body. This requires a different approach to error handling on the client.
Use REST if you have simple data requirements, need easy caching, or are building public APIs where broad compatibility is key. Use GraphQL if you have complex, relational data, mobile clients with limited bandwidth, or highly dynamic front-ends using frameworks like React.