REST vs GraphQL: Which API Architecture is Right for You in 2025?

Sindu Mohan
Jul 3, 2025
2 min read

In the world of web development and backend integration, APIs play a crucial role. Two of the most widely adopted API design approaches today are REST (Representational State Transfer) and GraphQL. Each comes with its own strengths and trade-offs. So, which one should you choose for your next modern application?

Let’s break it down in a simpl3 way.

What is REST API?

REST is an architectural style that uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to manage resources, typically accessed via URLs. REST APIs expose endpoints such as:

GET /users
GET /users/1
POST /users
PUT /users/1
DELETE /users/1

These endpoints are stateless and follow a resource-based structure.

Example: To fetch a user's data, you might call:

GET https://api.example.com/users/1

Pros:

Simple and well-established
Caching is easier with HTTP
Works well for fixed data structures

Cons:

Over-fetching or under-fetching of data
Requires multiple endpoints for different data needs

What is GraphQL?

GraphQL is a query language for APIs developed by Facebook. It allows the client to specify exactly what data it needs, and the server responds accordingly, even if the data comes from multiple sources.

Example Query:

query {
  user(id: "1") {
    name
    email
    posts {
      title
      published
    }
  }
}

Pros:

Fetch exactly what you need, no more, no less
Fewer requests – often a single endpoint (/graphql)
Great for frontend-heavy or mobile apps

Cons:

More complex server-side implementation
Not ideal for caching using standard HTTP methods
Can expose more data if not secured properly

Use Cases: REST vs GraphQL

Criteria	REST	GraphQL
Simplicity	Easier to understand & implement	Slightly complex
Data Fetching	Fixed structure per endpoint	Flexible per query
Performance	May over-fetch or under-fetch	Efficient, optimized fetching
Caching	Easy with HTTP	Requires custom caching logic
Error Handling	Built-in HTTP codes	Custom error objects
Tooling	Mature ecosystem	Rapidly growing ecosystem

When to Use REST

Applications with simple, well-defined data needs
Systems that benefit from built-in HTTP caching
Backends that don’t change often

When to Use GraphQL

Apps with complex, nested data (e.g., social networks)
Frontend/mobile apps with dynamic data needs
When reducing the number of network requests is critical

Real-World Examples

GitHub: Uses GraphQL for its API (https://docs.github.com/en/graphql)
Twitter & Stripe: Rely on REST APIs for stable and scalable endpoints
Shopify: Migrated from REST to GraphQL for efficiency and developer experience
Rest vs Graphql

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If your application needs predictable, easily cacheable endpoints, go with REST. But if you need flexibility, dynamic queries, and efficient data delivery, GraphQL is a strong choice.

Choose based on the needs of your app, your team’s familiarity, and your scalability goals.

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