I have created a separate blog for REST, GraphQL, and gRPC.
The codebase for Imaginary Aquarium retail, implemented across all three APIs, can be found here.
I tried to include images and tables for comparison.
1. High-Level Architectural Comparison
| Aspect | REST | GraphQL | gRPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Style | Resource-oriented | Query language with a schema | Remote Procedure Calls |
| Transport | HTTP/1.1 (mostly) | HTTP/1.1 or HTTP/2 | HTTP/2 |
| Data Format | JSON (XML optional) | JSON | Protocol Buffers (binary) |
| Endpoints | Multiple URL endpoints | Single endpoint (/graphql) |
Method names within services |
| Typing/Schema | Weak typing | Strongly typed schema | Strongly typed via .proto
|
| Tooling & Ecosystem | Very mature | Growing fast | Strong, but narrower scope |
| Typical Use Cases | Public APIs, simple CRUD | Flexible client-driven data needs | High-performance microservices |
2. Performance & Efficiency
| Metric | REST | GraphQL | gRPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latency | Moderate | Variable (depends on query complexity) | Very low |
| Throughput | Moderate | Depends (higher with precise queries) | Highest |
| Payload Size | JSON (often larger) | Depends on query | Small (binary) |
| Over-fetching Risk | High | Minimal (client defines data) | Low (compact payloads) |
| Streaming Support | HTTP streaming possible | Subscriptions (via WebSockets) | Built-in streaming |
3. Developer Experience & Tooling
4. Security & Caching
| Security & Caching | REST | GraphQL | gRPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentication | OAuth2, JWT, API keys | JWT tokens, directive-based auth | TLS/mTLS, ALTS |
| Authorization | Role-based | Field-level controls possible | Interceptor-based |
| Caching | Native HTTP caching | Custom strategies required | Custom |
| Common Risks | Standard HTTP threats | Query complexity & DoS | Binary payload complexity |
5. Versioning & Evolution
| Versioning Strategy | REST | GraphQL | gRPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Versioning | URL/version headers | Schema evolution & deprecation | Proto backward-compatible changes |
| Breaking Changes | Explicit version bump | Avoid by deprecation | Avoid by compat proto rules |
| Schema Contract | Implicit | Defined via GraphQL schema | Defined via .proto
|
Top comments (2)
What's your go-to API style right now, if you don't mind me asking?
REST still ruling?
GraphQL winning frontend battles?
gRPC taking over internals?
Share below — curious to hear your stack!
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