REST API vs GraphQL — Which Should You Use?

GraphQL was introduced by Facebook in 2015 with bold claims about replacing REST. In 2026, REST still handles the vast majority of API traffic on the internet. But GraphQL has found its niche — and in those niches, it's genuinely superior.

REST: The Default Choice

REST APIs are simpler to build, easier to cache (HTTP caching works natively), better supported by API gateways and CDNs, and simpler to debug. For most web and mobile applications, REST is the right choice. Its predictability and simplicity are features.

GraphQL: When It Actually Makes Sense

• →Flexible client data requirements — when different clients (web, mobile, third parties) need different shapes of data from the same API
• →Deeply nested data — when your data model has many relationships and REST would require many round-trips
• →Rapid frontend iteration — when frontend teams need to change data requirements frequently without backend changes
• →Public APIs — when you're building a developer platform where API consumers have diverse use cases

The Hidden Complexity of GraphQL

GraphQL comes with real complexity costs: N+1 query problems require DataLoader, query complexity limits and depth limiting to prevent abuse, caching is harder (no HTTP caching by default), and schema design requires more upfront thought than REST endpoints.

Our Default

REST for internal and mobile APIs. GraphQL when we're building a product with multiple diverse clients or a public developer API. tRPC (type-safe RPC) for full-stack TypeScript projects where both frontend and backend are in the same repository.