Why You Should Use GraphQL instead REST

Carter McKay
3 min readMay 27, 2022

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GraphQL was created by Facebook in 2012 as a way to make it easier for front-end developers to get the data they need from the back-end. It is a set of rules that defines how a client can request data from a server. GraphQL is similar to REST in that it is a way to fetch data from a server. However, there are several key differences that make GraphQL better than REST.

GraphQL is more flexible than REST

One of the biggest advantages of GraphQL is that it is more flexible than REST. With REST, you are limited to the data that is returned by the endpoints that are available. With GraphQL, you can specify exactly what data you want to retrieve, making it much easier to get the data you need. Then, if the data you want changes, you can simply update your GraphQL query, rather than having to update your entire API. An example of this would be if you want to add a new field to the data that is returned by an endpoint. With REST, you would need to create a new endpoint that returns the new data. With GraphQL, you can simply update your query to include the new field.

GraphQL is faster than REST

Another advantage of GraphQL is that it is generally faster than REST. This is because you can specify exactly what data you want to retrieve, and you don’t have to make multiple requests to different endpoints to get the data you need. With REST, you often have to make multiple requests to different endpoints to get all of the data you need, which can take longer.

GraphQL is easier to use than REST

GraphQL is also generally easier to use than REST. This is because you only have to make one request to the GraphQL server, and you can get all of the data you need in that one request. With REST, you often have to make multiple requests to different endpoints to get all of the data you need, which can be more difficult. Also, with GraphQL, you can specify exactly what data you want to retrieve, which can make it easier to get the data you need.

There are many other advantages of GraphQL over REST, but these are some of the most important ones. If you are looking for a better way to fetch data from a server, then you should definitely consider using GraphQL.

Conclusion

GraphQL is a better option than REST for many reasons. It is more flexible, faster, and easier to use. If you are looking for a better way to fetch data from a server, then you should definitely consider using GraphQL.

REST has been the standard for a long time, but it is time for a change. GraphQL is the future of data fetching, and you should start using it today.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

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Carter McKay

Full-Stack Develop. Data and Web Dev Engineer. Problem Solver. Terrible at Graphic Design. Give me a wireframe and I’ll build it.