SOQL vs GraphQL

Developers should learn SOQL when working with Salesforce to build custom applications, integrations, or reports that require data retrieval from Salesforce objects meets developers should learn graphql when building modern web or mobile applications that require flexible, efficient data fetching, such as in complex frontend-backend integrations or microservices architectures. Here's our take.

SOQL

Nice Pick

Developers should learn SOQL when working with Salesforce to build custom applications, integrations, or reports that require data retrieval from Salesforce objects

Pros

• It is particularly useful for scenarios like fetching customer data for CRM dashboards, automating business processes with Apex triggers, or integrating Salesforce with external systems via APIs
• Related to: apex, salesforce-platform

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

GraphQL

Developers should learn GraphQL when building modern web or mobile applications that require flexible, efficient data fetching, such as in complex frontend-backend integrations or microservices architectures

Pros

• It's particularly useful for scenarios where clients need to avoid multiple round-trips to servers or when APIs must evolve without breaking existing queries
• Related to: apollo-client, relay

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. SOQL is a language while GraphQL is a tool. We picked SOQL based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

SOQL wins

Based on overall popularity. SOQL is more widely used, but GraphQL excels in its own space.