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Protocols

Protocols

Formats of communication agreed-upon and used by hardware and software systems to exchange messages and transmit information: rules of semantics, syntax, synchronizing, and error recovery.

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HTTP

HTTP is a client-server application layer protocol designed to transfer information between networked devices.

WebSockets vs. HTTP: Comparing pros and cons

Pros and cons of HTTP and WebSocket protocols, and when best to use them.

Comparing Socket.IO and HTTP: Key differences and use cases

Insight into the pros and cons of Socket.IO and HTTP, and when best to use them.

HTTP/2

The second major version of the Hypertext Transport Protocol.

The Evolution of HTTP – HTTP/2 Deep Dive

This article covers the limitations of HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 and how those limitations led to the protocol's evolution to HTTP/2.

HTTP/3

HTTP/3 is the latest iteration of the original HTTP protocol, which powers the World Wide Web (WWW).

HTTP/3 Deep Dive | HTTP/3's value, features, and use cases

A deep dive into HTTP/3, including evolution, use cases, and how to get started.

HTTP/2 vs HTTP/3: A comparison

A deep dive into the similarities and differences between HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, incl. strengths, weaknesses, the past, and the future.

Long polling

Variant of the polling technique used to emulate a push mechanism where pushes are not possible or disallowed.

Long Polling - Concepts and Considerations

This article is deep dive into the technique known as “long polling”: how it came to be, how it's implemented, and how we use it at Ably.

MQTT

Lightweight, low-bandwidth pub/sub network protocol used for ordered, lossless, bi-directional connections.

MQTT vs. WebSocket - Key differences and when to use them together

Discover the different features, performance characteristics and use cases for MQTT and WebSocket, and how they can be used together.

MQTT: A Conceptual Deep-Dive

A conceptual deep-dive into MQTT, how it works, and its uses now and in the future.

Server-Sent Events

Server-push technology used for servers to automatically update clients subscribed to event-streams.

What Server-Sent Events is - and how and when to implement it

This article explores what server-sent events (SSE) is, how it works, when to use it, and key considerations and challenges to be aware of.

Socket.IO

Library that enables bidirectional, low-latency communication between web clients and servers, mainly over WebSockets.

Pusher vs. Socket.IO: differences, similarities, and feature comparison

Pusher and Socket.IO are event-driven solutions developers can use for realtime use cases like live chat, multiplayer collaboration, and broadcasting updates.

Scaling Socket.IO - practical considerations

A review of Socket.IO’s advantages, limitations & performance. Learn about the challenges of using Socket.IO to deliver realtime apps at scale.

Socket.IO vs. WebSocket: A comparison

We compare Socket.IO with WebSocket. Discover how they are different, their pros & cons, and their use cases.

Everything you need to know about Socket.IO

Socket.IO's main use cases, how to get started, ideal use cases, scope for support, where it fits in the realtime landscape.

Firebase vs Socket.IO: conceptual differences and use cases

Firebase and Socket.IO are often used to build realtime apps like chat and multiplayer games. Compare their features, strengths, limitations, and use cases.

SignalR vs. Socket.IO: which one is best for you?

Discover the advantages & disadvantages of SignalR and Socket.IO, learn about their use cases, similarities, and differences, and compare their features.

Comparing Socket.IO and HTTP: Key differences and use cases

Insight into the pros and cons of Socket.IO and HTTP, and when best to use them.

WebSocket

Communications protocol complementary to HTTP, allowing bidirectional message streaming over a single TCP connection.

WebRTC vs. WebSocket: Which one is the right choice for your use case?

We compare WebRTC with WebSocket. Discover how they are different, their pros & cons, and their use cases.

The challenge of scaling WebSockets

Scaling WebSockets for a production system can be challenging in terms of load balancing, fallback strategy, and connection management. Here's how to tackle it.

Socket.IO vs. WebSocket: A comparison

We compare Socket.IO with WebSocket. Discover how they are different, their pros & cons, and their use cases.

SignalR vs. WebSocket: pros, cons, and key differences

We compare SignalR and WebSocket, two popular realtime technologies. Discover their advantages and disadvantages, use cases, and key differences.

WebSocket vs REST - Key differences and use cases

Discover the different features, performance characteristics, and use cases for WebSocket - a stateful protocol, and REST - a stateless architectural style.

gRPC vs. WebSocket: Differences and key use cases

Discover the different features, performance characteristics, and use cases for gRPC and WebSockets to help understand which technology suits your needs best.

XMPP protocol vs WebSocket: Which is best for chat apps?

Discover the different features and the pros and cons of both the XMPP and WebSocket protocols - and which is best for chat apps - in our comparison guide.

WebSockets - A Conceptual Deep Dive

A deep dive into everything going on under the hood of applications that use the WebSocket protocol.

WebSockets vs. HTTP: Comparing pros and cons

Pros and cons of HTTP and WebSocket protocols, and when best to use them.

WebSocket alternatives for realtime features

Discover 5 alternatives to WebSocket for engineering realtime functionality for end-users: SSE, long polling, MQTT, WebRTC, and WebTransport.

How to stream Kafka messages to Internet-facing clients over WebSockets

This article explores how to stream Kafka messages to Internet-facing clients, over WebSockets, via a message broker.

Developing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Unity

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Unity.

Building realtime apps with PHP and WebSockets

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution in PHP.

Building dependable realtime apps with WebSockets and .NET

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for .NET.

Building realtime apps with Ruby and WebSockets

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution in Ruby.

Java and WebSockets: Building dependable realtime apps

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Java.

Building dependable realtime apps with Python and WebSockets

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution in Python.

WebSockets and macOS clients: Hard engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for macOS.

WebSockets and iOS: Client-side engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for iOS.

Scaling realtime apps with Golang and WebSockets

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Golang apps.

WebSockets and Swift: client-side engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Swift.

MQTT vs. WebSocket - Key differences and when to use them together

Discover the different features, performance characteristics and use cases for MQTT and WebSocket, and how they can be used together.

WebSockets and Android apps - client-side considerations

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Android.

TypeScript and WebSockets: client-side engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for TypeScript.

Realtime apps with React Native and WebSockets: client-side challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for React Native.

Building realtime apps with Flutter and WebSockets: client-side considerations

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Flutter apps.

Scaling realtime web apps with JavaScript and WebSockets

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for JavaScript.

Scaling WebSockets for virtual events

Learn about the challenges of building dependable virtual event platforms & apps with WebSockets that scale to support millions of concurrent users.

Building apps with Xamarin and WebSockets: engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Xamarin.

WebSockets and Mono: client-side engineering complexities

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Mono.

Building realtime apps with Node.js and WebSockets: client-side considerations

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Node.js.

Objective-C and WebSockets: client-side challenges and how to navigate them

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Objective-C.

WebSockets and tvOS apps: client-side engineering aspects you need to consider

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for tvOS.

WebSockets and Cocoa: client-side engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for Cocoa.

Using WebSockets for iPadOS apps: hard engineering challenges

Learn about the many challenges of implementing a dependable client-side WebSocket solution for iPadOS.

WebSub

Open, event-driven push transport protocol for distributed pub/sub communications using webhooks.

WebSub – A deep dive

What WebSub is, how it works, and its challenges.

XMPP

XML-based messaging protocol for realtime data transmission between distributed systems.

XMPP protocol vs WebSocket: Which is best for chat apps?

Discover the different features and the pros and cons of both the XMPP and WebSocket protocols - and which is best for chat apps - in our comparison guide.