REST and GraphQL are two ways to build an API. REST is simple and battle-tested; GraphQL lets clients ask for exactly the data they need. Neither is "better" — they fit different situations.
The key difference
With REST, the server defines fixed endpoints that each return a fixed shape of data. With GraphQL, there is one endpoint and the client describes precisely what it wants. GraphQL avoids over-fetching; REST is simpler to build, cache and reason about.
| REST | GraphQL | |
|---|---|---|
| Endpoints | Many, fixed | One, flexible |
| Data shape | Server decides | Client decides |
| Caching | Simple (HTTP) | More work |
| Learning curve | Low | Higher |
When REST is the right choice
For most APIs — a website backend, a mobile app, a third-party integration — REST is the pragmatic default. It is universally understood, easy to cache, and there is a tool for everything. Do not add GraphQL complexity without a reason.
When GraphQL earns its keep
GraphQL shines when many different clients need different slices of complex, related data — think a rich app pulling from dozens of types, where REST would mean many round-trips or bloated responses.