I suspect that GraphQL corresponds more to Erik Meijer's "coSQL" formalism (see A Co-Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks). The advantages with

I suspect that GraphQL corresponds more to Erik Meijer's "coSQL" formalism (see A Co-Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks). The advantages with respect to SQL would be an open-world assumption (easier distribution, no normalisation), the disadvantage would be the lack of arbitrary joins (which requires normalisation and indexes).