Why I Switched from REST to GraphQL (And When You Should Too)

I've built plenty of REST APIs over the years. They work well, they're simple, and everyone understands them. But I wanted to explore GraphQL, so I built a small project with it.

Why GraphQL?

GraphQL solves some real problems:

• Over-fetching: REST APIs often return more data than you need
• Under-fetching: You might need multiple API calls to get related data
• Type safety: GraphQL schemas provide built-in type checking
• Single endpoint: One endpoint for all your data needs

My Experience

I built a project management tool with GraphQL, and here's what I noticed:

Pros

• Flexible queries: Clients request exactly what they need
• Strong typing: The schema catches errors at development time
• Great tooling: GraphQL Playground is excellent for testing
• Relationships: Easy to query related data in one request

Cons

• Learning curve: Different mental model from REST
• Caching complexity: HTTP caching doesn't work the same way
• Over-engineering: For simple CRUD, REST might be simpler

When to Use GraphQL

Use GraphQL when:

• You have complex data relationships
• Different clients need different data shapes
• You want strong type safety
• You're building a new API from scratch

Stick with REST when:

• Your API is simple CRUD operations
• You need HTTP caching
• Your team is more familiar with REST
• You're integrating with existing REST APIs

My Takeaway

GraphQL is powerful, but it's not always the right choice. For my current projects, I'm using REST for simple APIs and GraphQL for complex, relationship-heavy applications.

Both have their place, and understanding when to use each is more valuable than being dogmatic about one approach.