REST Polling vs WebSockets

Developers should use REST Polling when building applications that need to synchronize data with a server but lack support for real-time push mechanisms like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events (SSE) 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.

REST Polling

Nice Pick

Developers should use REST Polling when building applications that need to synchronize data with a server but lack support for real-time push mechanisms like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events (SSE)

Pros

• It's suitable for low-frequency updates, such as checking for new notifications every few minutes, or in environments where firewalls or legacy systems restrict other methods
• Related to: rest-api, http-protocol

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. REST Polling is a concept while WebSockets is a protocol. We picked REST Polling based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

REST Polling wins

Based on overall popularity. REST Polling is more widely used, but WebSockets excels in its own space.

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