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REST vs GraphQL Simulator

Compare REST and GraphQL API approaches side by side. Make API requests, observe response payloads, and understand the tradeoffs between over-fetching, under-fetching, and query flexibility.

Category: API Design

What You Will Learn

  • Compare REST and GraphQL request patterns
  • Understand over-fetching and under-fetching
  • Learn when to choose REST vs GraphQL

Topics covered: rest, graphql, api, web-development

// simulator

REST API vs GraphQL Simulator

Compare REST and GraphQL side-by-side. Understand over-fetching, under-fetching, the N+1 problem, and when to use each approach with interactive scenarios.

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REST API vs GraphQL

Compare data fetching approaches side-by-side

Scenario: Get basic user profile information

HTTP Requests
1
REST
1
GraphQL
Payload
2.0 KB
REST
256 B
GraphQL
Time
-
REST
-
GraphQL
Bandwidth Saved
88%
less data downloaded
compared to REST
REST API
1 request(s)
GET/api/users/123
Over-fetched fields:
created_atupdated_atlast_loginsettingspreferences
GET /api/users/123
GraphQL
1 request
POST/graphql
Single request fetches exactly what you need
Requested fields (exact):
idnameemailavatar
query {
  user(id: "123") {
    id
    name
    email
    avatar
  }
}
Understanding the Comparison
Network Round-Trip

Each HTTP request takes ~100ms for DNS lookup, TCP/TLS handshake, and server processing.

REST Waterfall

REST requires sequentialrequests. For nested data, request 2 can't start until request 1 finishes.

GraphQL Batching

GraphQL bundles everything into one request. The server resolves all data in a single round-trip.

REST API

✅ Advantages

  • • Simple and well-understood
  • • Great HTTP caching with standard headers
  • • Easy to debug with browser tools
  • • Stateless architecture
  • • Works well for simple CRUD operations

❌ Disadvantages

  • • Over-fetching: Getting more data than needed
  • • Under-fetching: Multiple requests for related data
  • • N+1 problem with nested resources
  • • Versioning challenges (v1, v2, etc.)
  • • No built-in type system
GraphQL

✅ Advantages

  • • Fetch exactly what you need, nothing more
  • • Single request for complex nested data
  • • Strong type system with schema
  • • Self-documenting via introspection
  • • No versioning needed - evolve schema

❌ Disadvantages

  • • Caching is more complex
  • • Query complexity attacks possible
  • • Steeper learning curve
  • • All requests are POST (harder to cache)
  • • Overkill for simple APIs
💡 When to Use Each

Use REST when:

  • • Building simple CRUD APIs
  • • Caching is critical (CDN, browser)
  • • Team is familiar with REST
  • • Public APIs with many consumers
  • • File uploads/downloads

Use GraphQL when:

  • • Mobile apps need bandwidth efficiency
  • • Complex UIs with nested data
  • • Rapidly evolving frontend requirements
  • • Multiple clients with different needs
  • • Real-time subscriptions needed

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