Push Technology vs Polling

Developers should use push technology when building applications requiring instant data updates, such as chat apps, live sports scores, stock tickers, or IoT monitoring systems meets developers should use polling when building applications that need to monitor state changes, fetch updates from apis without websocket support, or in embedded systems where hardware constraints limit push-based methods. Here's our take.

Push Technology

Nice Pick

Developers should use push technology when building applications requiring instant data updates, such as chat apps, live sports scores, stock tickers, or IoT monitoring systems

Pros

• It reduces latency and server load compared to polling, making it ideal for real-time features where users need immediate information without manual refreshes
• Related to: websockets, server-sent-events

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Polling

Developers should use polling when building applications that need to monitor state changes, fetch updates from APIs without WebSocket support, or in embedded systems where hardware constraints limit push-based methods

Pros

• It is particularly useful for simple monitoring tasks, such as checking for new messages in a chat app, tracking file upload progress, or querying sensor data in IoT devices, where low-frequency updates are acceptable and implementation simplicity is prioritized over efficiency
• Related to: long-polling, webhooks

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Push Technology if: You want it reduces latency and server load compared to polling, making it ideal for real-time features where users need immediate information without manual refreshes and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Polling if: You prioritize it is particularly useful for simple monitoring tasks, such as checking for new messages in a chat app, tracking file upload progress, or querying sensor data in iot devices, where low-frequency updates are acceptable and implementation simplicity is prioritized over efficiency over what Push Technology offers.

The Bottom Line

Push Technology wins

Developers should use push technology when building applications requiring instant data updates, such as chat apps, live sports scores, stock tickers, or IoT monitoring systems