"Understanding REST vs GraphQL APIs with Real-world Examples"
- Kimshuka Writers
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Introduction:
In the evolving world of web and mobile development, APIs play a crucial role in connecting the front end with the backend. Two major approaches to building APIs—REST and GraphQL—have been widely adopted, each with its strengths and trade-offs.
In this blog, we will break down both styles, compare them with real-world examples, and help you decide which suits your application needs best.
Source Credit: REST-vs.-GraphQL-A-Side-By-Side-Comparison-2.png (1200×675)
What is REST?
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style based on standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Each resource (such as a user or a product) is identified by a URL, and operations are performed using these methods.
REST Example
Let’s say you want to fetch a user and their posts:
GET /users/1 → fetch user data
GET /users/1/posts → fetch that user's posts
You'd make multiple HTTP requests to gather all the necessary data.
REST Advantages
Simple to understand and implement
Caching is easy with HTTP
Widely supported with robust tooling
REST Limitations
Over-fetching: returns more data than needed
Under-fetching: may require multiple requests
Tight coupling between the backend and frontend data needs
What is GraphQL?
GraphQL, developed by Facebook, is a query language for APIs that gives clients the power to ask for exactly what they need—nothing more, nothing less.
GraphQL Example
You can fetch a user and their posts in a single query:
graphql
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query {
user(id: "1") {
name
posts {
title
comments {
text
author {
name
}
}
}
}
}
You get only the data you ask for, no more, no less.
GraphQL Advantages
Fetches precisely the required data
Reduces network calls with nested queries
Strongly typed schema helps with validation and introspection
Flexible for frontend development
GraphQL Limitations
Slightly steeper learning curve
Not ideal for simple or low-complexity APIs
🌍Real-world Scenario: Social Media App
Imagine you’re building a profile page for a user. You need:
The user’s name and avatar
Their last 5 posts
Comments on each post
With REST:
You might need to call:
GET /users/1
GET /users/1/posts?limit=5
GET /posts/:id/comments (repeated for each post)
This results in multiple round trips to the server.
With GraphQL:
Just send a single query:
graphql
CopyEdit
query {
user(id: "1") {
name
avatar
posts(limit: 5) {
title
comments {
text
author {
name
}
}
}
}
}
✅ Efficient ✅ Cleaner frontend logic ✅ Reduced bandwidth usage
Conclusion: Which One Should You Use?
Both REST and GraphQL have their place:
Use REST if:
You want a quick setup with conventional endpoints
You’re building a simple, CRUD-style application
You rely on browser-based caching heavily
Use GraphQL if:
Your frontend needs flexibility and control over data
You want to minimize round-trips in complex UIs
You have nested or relational data models
There’s no one-size-fits-all. Your API architecture should depend on the project size, complexity, and team expertise.
Source Credit: graphql-vs-rest.png (800×446)