What is the difference between RESTful and GraphQL APIs?

Question

Accepted Answer

**RESTful** — resource-based. **GraphQL** — query-based.

**RESTful API:**
- Resource-oriented URLs.
- Multiple endpoints.
- Fixed data structure.
- HTTP methods for operations.

```
REST:
GET /api/users/1
GET /api/users/1/orders
GET /api/orders/1/items
(Multiple requests, fixed structure)
```

**GraphQL API:**
- Single endpoint.
- Client specifies fields.
- Flexible queries.
- Strongly typed schema.

```
GraphQL:
POST /graphql
{ user(id: 1) {
  name
  orders { total, items { name } }
}}
(Single request, exact data needed)
```

**Key differences:**
- **REST** — multiple endpoints.
- **GraphQL** — single endpoint.
- **REST** — fixed structure.
- **GraphQL** — flexible.

Systems Analyst: What is the difference between RESTful and GraphQL APIs?