Long Polling vs WebSockets

Developers should learn long polling when building applications that need real-time features but cannot use WebSockets due to browser compatibility or infrastructure constraints 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.

Long Polling

Nice Pick

Developers should learn long polling when building applications that need real-time features but cannot use WebSockets due to browser compatibility or infrastructure constraints

Pros

• It is particularly useful for scenarios like live chat, stock tickers, or collaborative editing tools where immediate data updates are critical
• Related to: websockets, server-sent-events

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

The Bottom Line

Long Polling wins

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