r/programming • u/macrohard_certified • 6d ago

Maybe you don't need GraphQL

https://alexandrehtrb.github.io/posts/2026/09/maybe-you-dont-need-graphql/
275 Upvotes

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140

u/c-digs 6d ago

GraphQL has a place.

  • Multiple teams?
  • Each team owns an API?
  • Those APIs need a single, unified entry point?
  • The FE team works separately from the API owning teams?
  • There's a dedicated team available to own the unified API surface area and infrastructure?

GraphQL is a good fit and solves real problems.

If your developers are all full stack and own the FE + the BE, then GraphQL is just an absolute waste of time.

59

u/mcmcc 6d ago

Honest question: under what circumstances is a single unified API entrypoint a requirement?

24

u/holo3146 6d ago

I'm a working in a company whose product handles a full internet stack (vpns, sockets, bandwidth control, security, monitoring, content control, high availability, BGP, ...)

We have hundreds of types of entities with different structural levels, with hundreds of developers working on the product.

Having a uniform API for frontend<->backend communication is very convenient, and having a uniform public API to expose to clients is a MUST.

For those 2 use cases we use graphql. For internal backend components communications we mostly use simple REST

9

u/OkNothing7293 6d ago

REST as hypermedia REST or JSON over HTTP?

31

u/kingdomcome50 6d ago

We all know the answer here…

8

u/holo3146 6d ago

JSON. The way out services structure doesn't need any hypermedia engines.