REST's Strengths
REST is simple, well-understood, and works brilliantly for most use cases. HTTP caching, stateless architecture, and widespread tooling support make it the default choice for public APIs.
Where GraphQL Shines
When clients need flexible data fetching — mobile apps with limited bandwidth, dashboards with complex requirements — GraphQL eliminates over-fetching and under-fetching in a single request.
The Hybrid Approach
Many production systems use both. Public API in REST, internal service communication in GraphQL. Use the right tool for the job.