Ajax Polling vs WebSockets
Developers should use Ajax Polling when building applications that require periodic data updates, such as live notifications, chat applications, or dashboards with real-time metrics, especially in environments where simpler alternatives like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events are not supported meets pick websocket when you need low-latency, high-frequency, bidirectional traffic through a browser: multiplayer state sync, trading tickers, collaborative editors, where sse's one-way stream or mqtt's broker overhead don't fit. Here's our take.
Ajax Polling
Developers should use Ajax Polling when building applications that require periodic data updates, such as live notifications, chat applications, or dashboards with real-time metrics, especially in environments where simpler alternatives like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events are not supported
Ajax Polling
Nice PickDevelopers should use Ajax Polling when building applications that require periodic data updates, such as live notifications, chat applications, or dashboards with real-time metrics, especially in environments where simpler alternatives like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events are not supported
Pros
- +It is suitable for low-frequency updates or legacy systems, but for high-frequency or low-latency needs, more efficient methods are recommended to reduce bandwidth and server overhead
- +Related to: ajax, javascript
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
WebSockets
Pick WebSocket when you need low-latency, high-frequency, bidirectional traffic through a browser: multiplayer state sync, trading tickers, collaborative editors, where SSE's one-way stream or MQTT's broker overhead don't fit
Pros
- +Skip it for simple server-push (stock ticker, notification feed): SSE rides plain HTTP, auto-reconnects, and survives corporate proxies that WebSocket's upgrade handshake can get blocked by, at a fraction of the code
- +Related to: http-2, grpc
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
These tools serve different purposes. Ajax Polling is a concept while WebSockets is a protocol. We picked Ajax Polling based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.
Based on overall popularity. Ajax Polling is more widely used, but WebSockets excels in its own space.
Related Comparisons
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