A Skeptical Look at GraphQL's Dominance Over REST in API Development
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Published on May 17, 2026
Summary
A skeptical analysis of GraphQL's dominance in API development over the past 11 years, questioning whether REST is truly inferior or if GraphQL's complexity is overhyped. The author challenges the assumption that GraphQL can do everything REST can do better, and wonders why REST—a battle-tested paradigm—hasn't caught up. The article appears to be the beginning of a longer argument comparing REST and GraphQL API paradigms.
Source
raheeljunaid.comA Skeptical Look at GraphQL's Dominance Over REST in API Developmentraheeljunaid.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledOver the past 11 years, the software engineering world has been disrupted with the widespread adoption of GraphQL from companies like Github, Shopify, and Yelp.
How can an API paradigm as established and battle-tested as REST not catch up to the power of GraphQL?
And if GraphQL can do everything REST can do, why doesn't everyone use it?
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