What is GraphQL, and how does it compare to REST?

What is GraphQL, and how does it compare to REST?

Blog Article

GraphQL is a query language for APIs that allows clients to request specific data from a server. Unlike REST, which returns fixed data structures, GraphQL enables clients to define the structure of the response, reducing over-fetching and under-fetching of data.

GraphQL is often used in full-stack development for its flexibility and efficiency. For example, a React frontend can send a GraphQL query to a Django backend to fetch only the data it needs, improving performance.

While REST is simpler and more widely adopted, GraphQL is gaining popularity for its ability to handle complex queries and reduce the number of API requests. Both have their use cases, and the choice depends on the application’s requirements.