REST Versus GraphQL
TradeoffSeniorStaffUpdated
Mobile clients on flaky networks need to fetch a screen's worth of nested, related data in one round trip.
Short answer: GraphQL. GraphQL lets the client request exactly the fields it needs in one query, eliminating waterfall round trips and over-fetching on slow networks.
The Two Options
A
REST
B
GraphQL
Drill This: Your Pick First
The Better Pick
Option B
GraphQL
GraphQL lets the client request exactly the fields it needs in one query, eliminating waterfall round trips and over-fetching on slow networks.
When the Other One Wins
REST
When response shapes are stable, caching matters (HTTP cache), and team familiarity favors REST, GraphQL's complexity (N+1, auth, query cost) isn't worth it.