Notifications API vs Toast Notifications

Developers should learn the Notifications API when building web applications that require real-time user alerts, such as messaging apps, email clients, calendar tools, or news platforms, to improve user experience and retention meets developers should use toast notifications to enhance user experience by delivering immediate, contextual feedback without blocking the interface, making them ideal for actions like form submissions, file uploads, or system alerts. Here's our take.

Notifications API

Nice Pick

Developers should learn the Notifications API when building web applications that require real-time user alerts, such as messaging apps, email clients, calendar tools, or news platforms, to improve user experience and retention

Pros

• It is particularly useful for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that aim to provide native-like functionality, as it allows for background notifications similar to mobile apps
• Related to: progressive-web-apps, service-workers

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Toast Notifications

Developers should use toast notifications to enhance user experience by delivering immediate, contextual feedback without blocking the interface, making them ideal for actions like form submissions, file uploads, or system alerts

Pros

• They are particularly valuable in modern applications where maintaining user flow is critical, such as in dashboards, e-commerce sites, or collaborative tools, as they reduce friction compared to modal dialogs or full-page messages
• Related to: react-toastify, notistack

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Notifications API is a platform while Toast Notifications is a library. We picked Notifications API based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Notifications API wins

Based on overall popularity. Notifications API is more widely used, but Toast Notifications excels in its own space.