API Architectural Styles

Every time you open an app, stream a video, or send a message, you are using APIs. Behind every seamless digital experience lies a carefully chosen API architecture that determines how systems communicate.

But here is where most developers get stuck: they default to REST for everything. REST is great, but it is not the only option. And sometimes, it is not even the best one.

GraphQL shines for complex data fetching. gRPC excels at high-performance internal communication. WebSockets power real-time experiences. Each architectural style exists because it solves specific problems better than the alternatives.

Choosing the right API architecture is not about picking the most popular option. It is about understanding your requirements and matching them to the style that fits best.

In this chapter, we will explore the major API architectural styles, understand how each works, examine their trade-offs, and learn when to use each one.