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WPGraphQL vs WordPress REST API (Version 2) (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

WPGraphQL

WPGraphQL

4.9(48)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 weeks ago
View WPGraphQL
VS
WordPress REST API (Version 2)

WordPress REST API (Version 2)

4.2(34)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 8 years ago
View WordPress REST API (Version 2)

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, WPGraphQL has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 48 reviews) and leads in active installations (30K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WPGraphQL has accumulated 1.4M+ total downloads while WordPress REST API (Version 2) has 534K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.9/5WPGraphQL
◄
WordPress REST API (Version 2)4.2/5
Total Reviews
48WPGraphQL
◄
WordPress REST API (Version 2)34
Active Installs
30K+WPGraphQL
◄
WordPress REST API (Version 2)10K+
Total Downloads
1.4M+WPGraphQL
◄
WordPress REST API (Version 2)534K+
Support Resolution
N/AWPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)N/A
Last Updated
2 weeks agoWPGraphQL
◄
WordPress REST API (Version 2)8 years ago
First Released
2020WPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)2009
Age
6 yearsWPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)17 years
WP Requires
6.0+WPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)4.6+
PHP Requires
7.4+WPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)false+
Business Model
FreeWPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)Free
Latest Version
2.10.1WPGraphQL
WordPress REST API (Version 2)2.0-beta15

Rating Breakdown

WPGraphQL

4.9/5(48 reviews)
5
96%
4
2%
3
2%
2
0%
1
0%

WordPress REST API (Version 2)

4.2/5(34 reviews)
5
76%
4
0%
3
9%
2
0%
1
15%

Recent Reviews

WPGraphQL Reviews

by con

Speedy

GraphQL vs. REST API 10 : 0 Thank you for this plugin. Building my headless application with WPGraphQL is fun. The repl interface to test queries is A+.

by psychosispicks

Performance performance performance

I’m so glad I decided to transition to a headless WP, and WPGraphQL made this possible, convenient and super fast.

by benknight

Unreliable

I operate a large blog that uses WordPress as a headless CMS with a Next.JS frontend, which is largely enabled by this plugin. Let me just say first that creating an entire alternative third-party dat

WordPress REST API (Version 2) Reviews

by tazotodua

TOTAL IGNORANCE TO USERS

As we stated, this plugin was way long abandonded, and integrated in WP, and even after request https://wordpress.org/support/topic/why-there-is-no-clear-indication-that-it-is-no-longer-used/ the de

by sachintonte

PHP 7.2 compatibility errors on rest-api

Can you please confirm/deny the PHP 7.2 compatibility? I’m receiving this error report on a PHP 7.2 compatibility test: FILE: /nas/content/live/devreplicon1/wp-content/plugins/rest-api/lib/endpoints/c

by SuperBomd

Bug

Call to undefined function get_registered_meta_keys() in wp-content\plugins\rest-api\lib\fields\class-wp-rest-meta-fields.php on line 244

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WPGraphQL or WordPress REST API (Version 2) more popular?
WPGraphQL has 30K+ active installations while WordPress REST API (Version 2) has 10K+. WPGraphQL is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — WPGraphQL or WordPress REST API (Version 2)?
WPGraphQL has a 4.9/5 rating from 48 reviews, while WordPress REST API (Version 2) has a 4.2/5 rating from 34 reviews.
Are WPGraphQL and WordPress REST API (Version 2) free?
WPGraphQL is free and WordPress REST API (Version 2) is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — WPGraphQL or WordPress REST API (Version 2)?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
WPGraphQL was last updated 2 weeks ago and WordPress REST API (Version 2) was last updated 8 years ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.