HTTP/2 vs WebSockets

Developers should learn and use HTTP/2 when building modern web applications to enhance speed and user experience, especially for sites with many resources or high traffic 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.

HTTP/2

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use HTTP/2 when building modern web applications to enhance speed and user experience, especially for sites with many resources or high traffic

Pros

• It is essential for performance-critical use cases like e-commerce platforms, streaming services, and real-time applications where reduced latency and efficient resource loading are crucial
• Related to: http-1-1, tls

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. HTTP/2 is a concept while WebSockets is a protocol. We picked HTTP/2 based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

HTTP/2 wins

Based on overall popularity. HTTP/2 is more widely used, but WebSockets excels in its own space.