Comparison of Rest vs Graphql: Performance, Authentication and Scalability

Khushnuma Sadaf, Sidra Aslam Khan, Deepanshi Chourasia, Neelanjana Rai, Maria Jamal

2025

Abstract

As the need for smooth data transfer between back and front-end applications grows within web and mobile platforms, choosing the proper API architecture has become a matter of critical importance for developers. APIs have evolved from SOAP services to REST design, and more recently, GraphQL solutions. These models come with their own strengths and weaknesses regarding performance, scalability, and security. The Researchers study a comparative analysis of REST and GraphQL highlighting key emphasis metrics like data-fetching efficiency, bandwidth consumption, query complexity, response time, and security concerns. We also consider authentication mechanisms, common security vulnerabilities, and the effect of rate limiting and caching strategies on API performance. This research attempts to provide practical guides for selecting the most suitable API paradigm, depending on particular requirements of the use-case in the form of data-driven practical analysis and a set of real-world use-case studies. Conclusions: REST is a solid foundation that is built with consideration of the specs of caching, while GraphQL allows for a more flexible querying capability, and can eliminate redundant clauses to reduce bandwidth. The research behind this paper provides useful directions for both developers and architects when it comes to deciding how APIs are implemented.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Sadaf K., Khan S., Chourasia D., Rai N. and Jamal M. (2025). Comparison of Rest vs Graphql: Performance, Authentication and Scalability. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies - ICRDICCT`25; ISBN 978-989-758-777-1, SciTePress, pages 369-377. DOI: 10.5220/0013930100004919

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icrdicct`2525,
author={Khushnuma Sadaf and Sidra Khan and Deepanshi Chourasia and Neelanjana Rai and Maria Jamal},
title={Comparison of Rest vs Graphql: Performance, Authentication and Scalability},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies - ICRDICCT`25},
year={2025},
pages={369-377},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013930100004919},
isbn={978-989-758-777-1},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies - ICRDICCT`25
TI - Comparison of Rest vs Graphql: Performance, Authentication and Scalability
SN - 978-989-758-777-1
AU - Sadaf K.
AU - Khan S.
AU - Chourasia D.
AU - Rai N.
AU - Jamal M.
PY - 2025
SP - 369
EP - 377
DO - 10.5220/0013930100004919
PB - SciTePress