Which statement reflects a trade-off between GraphQL and REST?

Which statement reflects a trade-off between GraphQL and REST?

• A. GraphQL can reduce multiple round trips but adds complexity like batching; may not eliminate N+1 if not careful.
• B. GraphQL eliminates all N+1 problems automatically.
• C. REST cannot fetch related resources in a single request.
• D. GraphQL always performs worse than REST in all scenarios.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the trade-off between reducing round trips and adding complexity. GraphQL lets clients ask for exactly the data they need in a single request, which can cut down on multiple REST calls when related data is involved. But this power brings design and operational complexity: you need a schema, resolvers, and thinking about query planning, costs, caching, and batching. If the backend data access isn’t organized to fetch related data in batches, you can still hit an N+1 problem where each nested field triggers separate data fetches. Mitigations like batching and DataLoader help, but they require extra engineering effort. So this statement accurately captures the trade-off: GraphQL can reduce round trips but adds complexity and may not automatically eliminate N+1 if you’re not careful. The other options are too absolute or incorrect: GraphQL doesn’t automatically eliminate N+1, REST can fetch related resources in a single request in some designs, and GraphQL isn’t inherently worse in all scenarios.

The main idea here is the trade-off between reducing round trips and adding complexity. GraphQL lets clients ask for exactly the data they need in a single request, which can cut down on multiple REST calls when related data is involved. But this power brings design and operational complexity: you need a schema, resolvers, and thinking about query planning, costs, caching, and batching. If the backend data access isn’t organized to fetch related data in batches, you can still hit an N+1 problem where each nested field triggers separate data fetches. Mitigations like batching and DataLoader help, but they require extra engineering effort. So this statement accurately captures the trade-off: GraphQL can reduce round trips but adds complexity and may not automatically eliminate N+1 if you’re not careful. The other options are too absolute or incorrect: GraphQL doesn’t automatically eliminate N+1, REST can fetch related resources in a single request in some designs, and GraphQL isn’t inherently worse in all scenarios.