Why I Use GraphQL More Than REST (And Why It Works for Me)

One question I get asked a lot; especially by developer friends, is:
“Why do you prefer GraphQL over REST?”

First off, let me clear something up: GraphQL isn’t automatically better than REST, and REST isn’t better than GraphQL either. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. But personally, I’ve found myself using GraphQL more in the projects I’ve worked on ,especially ones with complex frontend requirements.

Here’s a breakdown of why GraphQL has worked well for me (and where it hasn’t).

What I Like About GraphQL

1. Frontend Freedom = Less Backend Work

In most projects, especially freelance, ones there are usually more frontend developers than backend devs. Instead of creating separate APIs for web, mobile, and other platforms, GraphQL lets frontend devs request only the data they need. That reduces the load on the backend team and speeds up development overall.

2. No More Over-Fetching or Under-Fetching

With REST, you often end up pulling more data than you need (or not enough). GraphQL fixes that by letting clients ask for exactly what they want. This also means we can optimize our database queries better. In my case, this has helped reduce database response times.

3. Built-In Documentation and Types

Let’s be real, API documentation can be a mess. With GraphQL, type definitions and schemas act as live documentation. You get default values, clear definitions, and even auto-suggestions in your IDE. It makes collaboration between frontend and backend teams way smoother.

4. Multiple Queries in a Single API Call

This is one of my favorite features. In REST, you might need to make several API calls to get related data. With GraphQL, you can combine multiple queries into a single call. Fewer requests = better performance and cleaner code.

5. Strong Type Validation

Since GraphQL is strongly typed, it catches a lot of issues at the query level. That means fewer surprises and runtime bugs. I’ve noticed a big drop in type-related errors after switching to GraphQL in most of my projects.

The Downsides of GraphQL

As much as I like GraphQL, it’s not perfect. Here are a few things that bug me:

1. Caching Isn’t Easy

REST APIs work well with traditional HTTP caching. GraphQL, on the other hand, uses a single endpoint, which makes standard caching harder. You’ll need extra tools like Apollo Client or Relay to handle this properly.

2. File Uploads Are a Pain

Uploading files in GraphQL isn’t as simple as in REST. It usually requires additional configurations or using workarounds like graphql-upload. Not fun.

3. The Learning Curve Can Be Steep

Setting up GraphQL isn’t always smooth, especially if your framework or language doesn’t have solid support or clear docs. The initial setup can feel like a lot.

4. Error Handling Isn’t Perfect

GraphQL returns a 200 OK status even when there’s an error inside the response body. That can be confusing and make it harder to catch and debug issues on the client side.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, it’s not about GraphQL vs REST, it’s about using the right tool for the job.

I still think REST is great for simple APIs, quick projects, or when caching is critical. But for apps that have complex frontend needs, support multiple clients (like web and mobile), or need faster development cycles, GraphQL has been a game-changer for me.

So that’s my take. What about you? Are you Team REST or Team GraphQL? Or maybe a bit of both?