GraphQL vs REST: When to Use Which

Different Tools, Different Jobs

Neither is universally better. Choose based on your needs.

REST Strengths

GET /users/123
GET /users/123/posts

• Simple and familiar
• HTTP caching works great
• Easy to debug (URLs tell the story)
• Good tooling everywhere

GraphQL Strengths

query {
  user(id: 123) {
    name
    email
    posts(limit: 5) {
      title
      comments {
        text
        author { name }
      }
    }
  }
}

• Get exactly what you need
• One request for nested data
• Strong typing
• Self-documenting

Choose REST When

• Simple CRUD operations
• Caching is important
• Team is familiar with it
• Public API (more widely understood)
• File uploads/downloads

Choose GraphQL When

• Multiple clients need different data
• Complex nested relationships
• Rapidly evolving requirements
• Mobile apps (bandwidth matters)
• Aggregating multiple services

The Middle Ground

REST with sparse fieldsets:

GET /users/123?fields=name,email
GET /users/123?include=posts,posts.comments

GraphQL for specific use cases, REST for everything else.

Common Mistakes

GraphQL:

• Over-fetching in resolvers (N+1 queries)
• No query complexity limits
• Exposing entire schema to clients

REST:

• Too many endpoints
• Inconsistent response formats
• Under/over-fetching data

My Take

Start with REST. Add GraphQL if you have specific pain points it solves (multiple clients, complex data requirements). Running both is fine.