Polling vs WebSockets

Developers should use polling in scenarios where real-time updates are not critical, server-side push technologies (like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events) are unavailable or too complex, or for lightweight applications with low-frequency data changes 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.

Polling

Nice Pick

Developers should use polling in scenarios where real-time updates are not critical, server-side push technologies (like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events) are unavailable or too complex, or for lightweight applications with low-frequency data changes

Pros

• It is commonly applied in APIs for checking job statuses (e
• Related to: long-polling, webhooks

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

The Bottom Line

Polling wins

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