REST Polling vs Server-Sent Events

Developers should use REST Polling when building applications that need to synchronize data with a server but lack support for real-time push mechanisms like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events (SSE) meets developers should learn sse when building applications that require real-time, server-to-client updates, such as live dashboards, chat applications, or news feeds, as it offers a lightweight and easy-to-implement alternative to websockets for one-way data flow. Here's our take.

REST Polling

Nice Pick

Developers should use REST Polling when building applications that need to synchronize data with a server but lack support for real-time push mechanisms like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events (SSE)

Pros

• It's suitable for low-frequency updates, such as checking for new notifications every few minutes, or in environments where firewalls or legacy systems restrict other methods
• Related to: rest-api, http-protocol

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Server-Sent Events

Developers should learn SSE when building applications that require real-time, server-to-client updates, such as live dashboards, chat applications, or news feeds, as it offers a lightweight and easy-to-implement alternative to WebSockets for one-way data flow

Pros

• It is particularly useful in scenarios where you need to avoid the complexity of bidirectional communication or when working with HTTP/1
• Related to: websockets, http

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use REST Polling if: You want it's suitable for low-frequency updates, such as checking for new notifications every few minutes, or in environments where firewalls or legacy systems restrict other methods and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Server-Sent Events if: You prioritize it is particularly useful in scenarios where you need to avoid the complexity of bidirectional communication or when working with http/1 over what REST Polling offers.

The Bottom Line

REST Polling wins

Developers should use REST Polling when building applications that need to synchronize data with a server but lack support for real-time push mechanisms like WebSockets or Server-Sent Events (SSE)