--- title: "GraphQL API Development Services | Cyan Orbit" description: "We design GraphQL schemas and resolvers with Apollo Server or Federation, adding DataLoader batching and persisted queries so multi-client APIs stay fast." url: https://cyanorbit.com/technologies/graphql --- 1. [Home](https://cyanorbit.com/) 2. [Technologies](https://cyanorbit.com/technologies) 3. GraphQL Data & APIs # GraphQL API Development We build GraphQL APIs for products with more than one client shape, and plain REST for everything simpler. [Get a project estimate](https://cyanorbit.com/get-a-quote) [Talk to a developer](https://cyanorbit.com/contact) NDA on request · Free, no-obligation estimate · Reply within one business day NDA before discovery You own the code and IP on payment Code in your repository from day one A working demo every two weeks Senior engineers do the work [How we work](https://cyanorbit.com/process) GraphQL solves a problem that shows up once a product has more than one kind of client asking for different shapes of the same data: a mobile app that needs a lean payload, a web dashboard that needs nested related data, and an internal admin tool that needs almost everything. Our graphql api development covers schema design, resolver implementation with Apollo Server or GraphQL Yoga, and DataLoader batching to avoid the N+1 query problem that catches teams new to the pattern. We also build Apollo Federation setups for organizations with multiple backend teams who each own a piece of a shared schema, which lets a frontend query across service boundaries without the frontend team needing to know how the backend is split up. GraphQL is not our default choice. For a single client consuming straightforward CRUD endpoints, a well-designed REST API is usually faster to build, easier to cache at the HTTP layer, and simpler for a new engineer to understand without learning schema-first tooling. Fit ## When GraphQL is the right choice, and when it is not ### Good fit - You have multiple client types, such as web and mobile, that need meaningfully different shapes or depths of the same underlying data. - You are aggregating data from several backend services or microservices and want one coherent API for frontend teams to query against. - Over-fetching or under-fetching from a REST API has become a measurable performance or development-speed problem. - Multiple backend teams own different parts of a domain and want to expose a single federated schema without tight coupling between their services. ### Consider something else - A single client consuming simple CRUD operations is usually served faster and more simply by REST, without the schema tooling and resolver layer GraphQL requires. - Public APIs where HTTP caching by CDNs and browsers matters a great deal tend to fit REST's cacheable, resource-based URLs more naturally than GraphQL's single endpoint. - Teams unfamiliar with the N+1 query problem can ship a GraphQL API that performs poorly in production until DataLoader batching or similar patterns are added, which is avoidable groundwork REST does not require. - Very small projects with a short expected lifespan rarely recoup the setup cost of schema design and resolver wiring compared with a handful of REST endpoints. What we build ## What we build with GraphQL - ### Schema design Type definitions and schema structure designed around how clients will actually query data, not a one-to-one mirror of database tables. - ### Resolver implementation Resolvers built with Apollo Server or GraphQL Yoga, connected to existing databases and services, with DataLoader batching to prevent N+1 query patterns. - ### Federation for multi-team APIs Apollo Federation setups that let separate backend teams each own a subgraph, composed into one schema that frontend teams query without needing to know the service boundaries. - ### Realtime subscriptions GraphQL subscriptions over WebSockets for features that need live updates, such as a dashboard reflecting changes as they happen elsewhere in the system. - ### Performance and caching Persisted queries to reduce payload size and enable CDN-level caching for common queries, plus query complexity limits to prevent expensive queries from overwhelming the backend. Ecosystem ## Libraries and tools we pair it with - Apollo Server - Apollo Client - Apollo Federation - GraphQL Yoga - DataLoader - Relay - Hasura - PostGraphile ## GraphQL Versus REST for This Project We ask a specific question before recommending GraphQL: does this product have more than one client with meaningfully different data needs, or is over-fetching from a REST API causing a real, measured problem. If the answer is no, REST is usually the better choice, since it is simpler to cache, easier for a new engineer to pick up, and does not require a resolver layer or schema-first tooling. When the answer is yes, GraphQL's ability to let each client request exactly the fields it needs removes a whole category of API versioning problems that come from trying to serve a mobile app and a web dashboard from the same REST endpoints. The decision should follow the actual client and team topology, not a general sense that GraphQL is the more modern option. ## Federation for Multi-Team APIs Apollo Federation exists for organizations where more than one backend team owns a piece of the same overall domain, a product team owning inventory data, a separate team owning pricing, another owning reviews, and a frontend needs to query across all three without knowing which service owns what. We set up federation when this organizational shape genuinely exists, since it lets each backend team deploy independently while frontend developers work against a single composed schema. For a single backend team building a monolithic API, plain Apollo Server without federation is simpler and has fewer moving parts to maintain. - Each team owns a subgraph and deploys it independently - A gateway composes subgraphs into one schema for clients - Frontend teams query one API without knowing service boundaries Services ## Services that use GraphQL - [API DevelopmentWe design, build, document and version REST and GraphQL APIs that partners can integrate against without calling your engineers first.](https://cyanorbit.com/services/api-development) - [Backend DevelopmentWe build the server-side systems underneath your product: data models, business logic, queues and the infrastructure that keeps them fast under load.](https://cyanorbit.com/services/backend-development) - [SaaS DevelopmentWe build multi-tenant SaaS products around tenant isolation, subscription billing and self-serve onboarding, architected to scale past your first cohort of customers.](https://cyanorbit.com/services/saas-development) Industries ## Where we use it - [Media & EntertainmentStreaming, subscription and rights management software built around DRM licensing and territory-based content availability.](https://cyanorbit.com/industries/media-entertainment) - [Retail & E-commerceInventory, POS and storefront software that stays in sync across every channel, with EDI wired in for your wholesale partners.](https://cyanorbit.com/industries/retail-ecommerce) - [Professional ServicesEngagement management, time tracking, and client portals built around the way consulting and advisory firms actually bill for their time.](https://cyanorbit.com/industries/professional-services) FAQ ## GraphQL FAQs Should our new product use GraphQL or REST? If you have one client type and mostly straightforward CRUD operations, REST is usually faster to build and simpler to maintain. GraphQL earns its complexity once you have multiple client shapes, such as web and mobile, or you are aggregating data from several backend services into one API for frontend teams to query. What is the N+1 query problem in GraphQL, and how do you prevent it? It happens when a resolver for a list field triggers a separate database query for each item's related data, turning one request into potentially hundreds of queries. We prevent this with DataLoader, which batches and caches those lookups within a single request, collapsing what would be many queries into one or a handful. Do we need Apollo Federation, or is a single GraphQL server enough? A single GraphQL server is enough unless more than one backend team independently owns parts of the same domain and needs to deploy separately. Federation adds real coordination benefits in that situation, but for a single team building one API, it adds setup complexity without a matching benefit. Can GraphQL APIs be cached the way REST APIs can? Not as naturally, since GraphQL typically serves everything from one endpoint rather than distinct cacheable URLs. Persisted queries help, by letting a CDN cache responses for a known, fixed set of queries, but a public API relying heavily on HTTP caching is often still better served by REST's resource-based URL structure. How long does it take to migrate an existing REST API to GraphQL? For a moderately sized API, building a GraphQL layer on top of existing services typically takes four to eight weeks, since you can wrap existing REST endpoints or database access with resolvers rather than rewriting the underlying logic. Timelines extend when the migration also involves restructuring how data is fetched across services, rather than just adding a new API layer in front of what already exists. Compare ## Alternatives we also work with - [Node.jsOne language across frontend and backend, and an event loop built for high-concurrency I/O.](https://cyanorbit.com/technologies/nodejs) - [PostgreSQLWe design PostgreSQL schemas that hold up under real transaction volume, not just the demo dataset.](https://cyanorbit.com/technologies/postgresql) Insights ## Related guides - [7 min readHow to Build a SaaS Product Ready for Real CustomersHow to build a SaaS product beyond the MVP: multi-tenancy, billing architecture, onboarding, admin tooling and go-to-market readiness explained.](https://cyanorbit.com/blog/how-to-build-a-saas-product) - [8 min readHow to Build an MVP Without Wasting Budget on the Wrong FeaturesA practical guide to how to build an MVP: scoping the smallest viable version, validating demand, choosing an engagement model, and avoiding common mistakes.](https://cyanorbit.com/blog/how-to-build-an-mvp) - [7 min readHow Much Does MVP Development Cost?MVP development cost typically runs $15,000 to $60,000 for a single-workflow product, and $60,000-$150,000+ once billing or integrations are involved.](https://cyanorbit.com/blog/mvp-development-cost) ## Talk to a GraphQL developer Share a few details about your project. A senior engineer reviews every request and replies with next steps, questions, and a rough budget range. [Get a project estimate](https://cyanorbit.com/get-a-quote) [Talk to a developer](https://cyanorbit.com/contact)