GraphQL vs REST: Choosing the Right API Style

Choosing between GraphQL and REST is one of the most debated API design decisions. Both approaches have passionate advocates and legitimate use cases. This guide cuts through the hype to help you make an informed decision based on your specific requirements.

Understanding the Fundamentals

REST (Representational State Transfer)

REST uses standard HTTP methods to operate on resources identified by URLs:

GET    /api/users/123          # Get user
POST   /api/users              # Create user
PUT    /api/users/123          # Update user
DELETE /api/users/123          # Delete user
GET    /api/users/123/posts    # Get user's posts

Each endpoint returns a fixed structure defined by the server.

GraphQL

GraphQL provides a single endpoint where clients specify exactly what data they need:

query {
  user(id: 123) {
    name
    email
    posts(first: 5) {
      title
      publishedAt
    }
  }
}

The client controls the shape of the response.

Key Differences

Data Fetching

REST: Multiple Round Trips

// Fetch user profile page data
const user = await fetch('/api/users/123');
const posts = await fetch('/api/users/123/posts');
const followers = await fetch('/api/users/123/followers');
// 3 requests, potentially over-fetching data

GraphQL: Single Request

query UserProfile {
  user(id: 123) {
    name
    avatar
    posts(first: 5) { title }
    followersCount
  }
}
// 1 request, exact data needed

Over-fetching and Under-fetching

REST Challenge:

// GET /api/users/123 returns everything
{
  "id": 123,
  "name": "John",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "avatar": "...",
  "bio": "...",
  "createdAt": "...",
  "settings": {...},
  "permissions": {...}
  // 20 more fields you don't need
}

GraphQL Solution:

# Request only what you need
query {
  user(id: 123) {
    name
    avatar
  }
}

API Evolution

REST Versioning:

/api/v1/users
/api/v2/users  # Breaking changes

GraphQL Evolution:

type User {
  name: String
  fullName: String  # Add new field
  email: String @deprecated(reason: "Use emailAddress")
  emailAddress: String
}

When to Choose REST

Simple CRUD Applications

When your API maps cleanly to resources:

Products, Orders, Users, Comments
↓
Standard CRUD operations
↓
REST is natural fit

Caching Requirements

REST leverages HTTP caching naturally:

GET /api/products/123
Cache-Control: max-age=3600

# CDNs, browsers, proxies all understand this

GraphQL POST requests don't cache by default.

Public APIs

REST's simplicity benefits external consumers:

• Well-understood conventions
• Easy to document with OpenAPI
• Works with any HTTP client
• No special libraries required

File Uploads

REST handles multipart uploads straightforwardly:

// Laravel REST endpoint
public function store(Request $request)
{
    $file = $request->file('document');
    // Process upload
}

GraphQL requires workarounds for file uploads.

When to Choose GraphQL

Complex, Nested Data

When clients need related data efficiently:

query Dashboard {
  currentUser {
    notifications(unread: true) {
      message
      createdAt
    }
    projects {
      name
      recentActivity(first: 3) {
        description
        user { name }
      }
    }
  }
}

Mobile Applications

Mobile apps benefit from:

• Reduced bandwidth (request only needed fields)
• Fewer round trips (single request)
• Offline-first with client caching

Rapidly Evolving Frontends

When UI requirements change frequently:

# Frontend team adds field without backend changes
query {
  product(id: 1) {
    name
    price
    # New requirement: show stock status
    stockStatus  # Just add it if it exists
  }
}

Multiple Clients with Different Needs

# Mobile: minimal data
query { user { name, avatar } }

# Web: full profile
query { user { name, avatar, bio, posts, followers } }

# Admin: everything
query { user { ...allFields, internalNotes, auditLog } }

Implementation Considerations

REST Implementation (Laravel)

// Clean, simple controllers
class UserController extends Controller
{
    public function show(User $user)
    {
        return new UserResource($user->load(['posts', 'profile']));
    }
}

// API Resources control output
class UserResource extends JsonResource
{
    public function toArray($request): array
    {
        return [
            'id' => $this->id,
            'name' => $this->name,
            'email' => $this->when($request->user()?->isAdmin(), $this->email),
            'posts' => PostResource::collection($this->whenLoaded('posts')),
        ];
    }
}

GraphQL Implementation (Laravel + Lighthouse)

// Schema definition
type Query {
    user(id: ID! @eq): User @find
    users: [User!]! @paginate
}

type User {
    id: ID!
    name: String!
    email: String! @canAccess(ability: "viewEmail")
    posts: [Post!]! @hasMany
}

// Resolver for complex logic
class UserResolver
{
    public function posts(User $user, array $args)
    {
        return $user->posts()
            ->published()
            ->orderBy('created_at', 'desc')
            ->limit($args['first'] ?? 10)
            ->get();
    }
}

Performance Considerations

REST Performance

// N+1 problem requires explicit eager loading
public function index()
{
    // Bad: N+1 queries
    return User::all();

    // Good: Eager load
    return User::with(['posts', 'profile'])->get();
}

GraphQL Performance

// N+1 solved with DataLoader pattern
class PostLoader
{
    public function load(array $userIds): array
    {
        return Post::whereIn('user_id', $userIds)
            ->get()
            ->groupBy('user_id')
            ->toArray();
    }
}

Query Complexity

GraphQL needs protection against expensive queries:

# Potentially expensive query
query {
  users(first: 1000) {
    posts(first: 100) {
      comments(first: 100) {
        author { posts { comments { ... } } }
      }
    }
  }
}

Implement query complexity analysis:

// Lighthouse configuration
'security' => [
    'max_query_complexity' => 100,
    'max_query_depth' => 10,
],

Hybrid Approaches

You don't have to choose exclusively:

/api/v1/*           → REST for simple CRUD
/graphql            → GraphQL for complex queries
/api/v1/upload      → REST for file uploads
/api/v1/webhooks    → REST for external integrations

Decision Framework

Conclusion

Neither GraphQL nor REST is universally better. REST excels for simple, cacheable APIs with external consumers. GraphQL shines for complex data requirements with controlled clients. Consider your specific needs: data complexity, caching requirements, client diversity, and team expertise. Many successful systems use both, choosing the right tool for each use case.