Berkeley Sockets vs WebSockets
Developers should learn Berkeley Sockets when building networked applications that require low-level control over network communication, such as custom servers, clients, or real-time systems meets developers should learn and use websockets when building applications that require real-time features, such as live chat, online gaming, financial trading platforms, collaborative editing tools, or live sports updates, as it reduces latency and server load compared to polling techniques like http long-polling. Here's our take.
Berkeley Sockets
Developers should learn Berkeley Sockets when building networked applications that require low-level control over network communication, such as custom servers, clients, or real-time systems
Berkeley Sockets
Nice PickDevelopers should learn Berkeley Sockets when building networked applications that require low-level control over network communication, such as custom servers, clients, or real-time systems
Pros
- +It is essential for understanding fundamental networking concepts like TCP/IP, UDP, and socket states, and is widely used in embedded systems, game development, and legacy codebases
- +Related to: tcp-ip, udp
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
WebSockets
Developers should learn and use WebSockets when building applications that require real-time features, such as live chat, online gaming, financial trading platforms, collaborative editing tools, or live sports updates, as it reduces latency and server load compared to polling techniques like HTTP long-polling
Pros
- +It is particularly valuable in scenarios where instant data synchronization between clients and servers is critical, such as in IoT device monitoring or interactive dashboards, because it maintains an open connection for continuous data flow
- +Related to: http, real-time-communication
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
These tools serve different purposes. Berkeley Sockets is a concept while WebSockets is a protocol. We picked Berkeley Sockets based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.
Based on overall popularity. Berkeley Sockets is more widely used, but WebSockets excels in its own space.
Disagree with our pick? nice@nicepick.dev