WebSockets vs gRPC vs MQTT vs SSE (Server-Sent Events)

Criteria	WebSockets	gRPC	MQTT	SSE
Protocol Type	Full-Duplex	RPC	Publish-Subscribe	Unidirectional
Messaging Pattern	Real-time	Real-time	Real-time	Real-time
Use Case	Interactive Apps	Microservices	IoT	Real-time Updates
Transport Layer	Over TCP/HTTP	HTTP/2	Over TCP	Over HTTP
Data Format	Binary or Text	Protocol Buffers	Custom Payload	Text
Message Acknowledgment	No	Yes	Quality of Service	No
Message Ordering	Guaranteed	Ordered	Not Guaranteed	Ordered
Scalability	Scalable	Scalable	Scalable	Limited
Security	SSL/TLS	SSL/TLS	SSL/TLS	SSL/TLS
Message Size	Larger payload	Efficient	Limited	Limited
Browser Support	Yes	Limited	No	Yes
Complexity	Moderate	High	Moderate	Low
Built-in Browser Support	Yes	No	No	Yes
Error Handling	Custom	Strong Typing	Quality of Service	Built-in
Publish/Subscribe Model	No	No	Yes	Yes
Protocol Extensibility	No	Yes	No	Limited
Latency	Low	Low	Low	Low
Bandwidth Usage	Moderate	Efficient	Low	Low
Bi-directional Communication	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Use of HTTP/2	No	Yes	No	No
Quality of Service (QoS)	No	Yes	Yes	No
Offline Messaging	No	No	Yes	No
Broker Requirement	No	No	Yes	No
Subscription Control	No	No	Yes	No
Connection Overhead	Low	Low	Low	Low
Load Balancing Support	Yes	Yes	Limited	Limited
Protocol Overhead	Moderate	Low	Low	Low
Message Retention	No	No	Configurable	No
Header Compression	No	Yes	No	No
Streaming Support	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

 

1. Protocol Type: Describes the fundamental nature of the communication method.

2. Messaging Pattern: Identifies the primary use case for real-time communication.

3. Use Case: States the typical scenarios or applications where each method is commonly used.

4. Transport Layer: Specifies the underlying network protocol used for communication.

5. Data Format: Discusses the format in which data is exchanged.

6. Message Acknowledgment: Addresses whether the method supports acknowledgment of received messages.

7. Message Ordering: Indicates whether the method ensures the order of messages.

8. Scalability: Highlights the method's ability to handle large numbers of clients or devices.

9. Security: Emphasizes the security features and protocols used.

10. Message Size: Notes the limitations or efficiency regarding the size of messages.

11. Browser Support: Explains whether the method is natively supported in web browsers.

12. Bandwidth Usage: Describes how efficiently the communication method utilizes network bandwidth.

13. Bi-directional Communication: Specifies whether the method allows for bidirectional communication between client and server.

14. Use of HTTP/2: Indicates whether the communication method utilizes the HTTP/2 protocol.

15. Quality of Service (QoS): Refers to the level of assurance provided for message delivery and processing.

16. Offline Messaging: Addresses the ability of the method to handle messages when clients are temporarily disconnected.

17. Broker Requirement: Identifies whether a dedicated message broker is required for the method.

18. Subscription Control: Discusses the flexibility and control over message subscriptions.

19. Connection Overhead: Refers to the additional data or setup required for establishing and maintaining connections.

20. Load Balancing Support: Highlights whether the method supports load balancing for distributing traffic across servers.

21. Protocol Overhead: Refers to the additional data included in messages due to the protocol's structure.

22. Message Retention: Indicates whether the method allows for the storage and retrieval of messages.

23. Header Compression: Discusses whether the method uses compression techniques for reducing header overhead.

24. Streaming Support: Specifies whether the method supports data streaming for continuous data transmission.