Web API vs GraphQL

Developers should learn Web APIs to build scalable, decoupled systems that allow frontend and backend components to interact seamlessly, such as in single-page applications (SPAs) or microservices architectures 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.

Web API

Nice Pick

Developers should learn Web APIs to build scalable, decoupled systems that allow frontend and backend components to interact seamlessly, such as in single-page applications (SPAs) or microservices architectures

Pros

• They are essential for integrating third-party services (e
• Related to: rest-api, http-protocol

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. Web API is a concept while GraphQL is a tool. We picked Web API based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Web API wins

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