How to choose HTTP or gRPC for your next API

A recent Postman livestream titled "How We Built it: gRPC Support" delved into the technical comparison between gRPC and HTTP-based APIs, such as REST and GraphQL, exploring their design, implementation, and efficiency. REST APIs, typically following HTTP 1.1, are widely adopted due to their straightforward request-response model and ease of understanding, though they can lead to over-fetching or under-fetching of data. GraphQL addresses these issues by allowing clients to specify the exact data they need, though it still operates over HTTP 1.1. In contrast, gRPC, developed by Google, leverages HTTP 2.0 and Protocol Buffers for faster, more efficient binary communication, offering benefits like bidirectional streaming and better performance, particularly for low-power and IoT devices. However, gRPC's complexity and need for additional tooling and libraries for browser support can hinder its adoption, relegating it to more internal applications. While REST remains a strong choice for its readability and simplicity, gRPC provides significant advantages for applications requiring high-performance, multi-language microservices communication.

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