Sockets vs WebSocket

Developers should learn sockets when building networked applications that require real-time data transfer, such as chat systems, multiplayer games, or IoT device communication, as they provide low-level control over network interactions meets developers should use websocket when building applications that require real-time features, such as live chat, collaborative editing, online gaming, financial tickers, or live sports updates, as it reduces latency and server load compared to polling techniques like http long-polling. Here's our take.

Sockets

Nice Pick

Developers should learn sockets when building networked applications that require real-time data transfer, such as chat systems, multiplayer games, or IoT device communication, as they provide low-level control over network interactions

Pros

• They are essential for implementing custom protocols or when high performance and flexibility are needed beyond what higher-level libraries offer
• Related to: tcp-ip, network-programming

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

WebSocket

Developers should use WebSocket when building applications that require real-time features, such as live chat, collaborative editing, online gaming, financial tickers, 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 multiple clients and a server is critical, such as in dashboards, notifications, or IoT device monitoring, enabling efficient and scalable real-time communication
• Related to: http, real-time-communication

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Sockets is a concept while WebSocket is a protocol. We picked Sockets based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Sockets wins

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