I think what you're missing is that GraphQL isn't SQL, but rather a SQL-ish query language that supports a limited subset of what SQL does. Additionally, GraphQ

I think what you're missing is that GraphQL isn't SQL, but rather a SQL-ish query language that supports a limited subset of what SQL does. Additionally, GraphQL lets the server define the schema that's being exposed to the client independent of the actual storage underneath that, including defining and limiting the types of mutations that can be applied. If you were to simply expose the ability for clients to feed SQL queries into your backend then you have to worry about policing those queries, scrubbing problematic values out of the queries, and in general preventing users from doing bad things with your database. By exposing a GraphQL interface you're providing a limited and tightly controlled view into your data, but still allowing the client the freedom to specify the shape and partitioning of the data being returned.