Building Real-Time Applications With WebSockets and gRPC

Real-time applications have become the most important part in advanced software development. These applications allow smooth and low delay communication between clients and servers. For achieving this target the two most famous technologies are WebSocket and gRPC. In this blog, we will explore how these technologies power real time applications.

WebSockets in Real-Time Applications

Best Use Cases for WebSocket in Real-Time Applications

WebSockets are best for cases that need bidirectional communication with minimal latency. Common use case include:-

• Live Chat Applications.
• Collaborative Tools.
• Multiplayer Online Games.
• Financial Market Updates.
• IoT Device Communications.

Implementing WebSockets in Modern Web Applications

Applying WebSockets involves the following procedure.

• Establishing a WebSocket connection using JavaScript: const socket = new WebSocket("ws://example.com/socket");

socket.onmessage = (event) => {

????console.log("Message received: ", event.data);

};

• Handling connection events, sending and receiving messages.
• Managing reconnections and handling failure.

WebSockets and Server-Sent Events: Which One to Choose?

WebSockets

Server-Sent Events

Perfect for two ways communication.

Good for one way communication.

Provide better interactivity.

Use HTTP and it is easier to measure.

Managing WebSocket Connection in Cloud-Native App

For handling WebSocket connections efficiently in cloud native environment:

• Use a load balancer that supports sticky sessions.
• Apply message brokers such as Redis Pub/Sub.
• Use auto-scaling strategies to manage spikes in traffic.

Real-Time Dashboards Using WebSockets: A Small Guide

• Set up a WebSocket Server.
• Establish a connection in the front-end.
• Push real-time updates to a dashboard UI using frameworks such as React or Vue.js.
• Improve performance using throttling and debouncing.

gRPC for Low-Latency Communication

How does gRPC Improve Performance in Microservices?

• Uses HTTP/2, decreases delay with multiplexed streams.
• Support binary realization through Protocol buffers.
• Enable for two way streaming. This makes it perfect for real-time applications.

gRPC Streaming: Handling Constant Data Flow

• Unary RPC handles single request and signal response.
• In Server Streaming RPC server sends several responses.
• In the Client Streaming RPC client sends several requests.
• Bidirectional Streaming RPC allows both client and server stream data at a time.

Why is gRPC the Future of API Communication?

• gRPC is Compact and Efficient. Protocol buffers minimize payload size.
• It is Cross-Language support. This works with several programming languages.
• gRPC supports multiplexing. This finishes the head-of-line blocking HTTP/2.?

Explore gRPC Interceptors for Advance Features

Interceptors allow functionalities like

• Logging and Monitoring.
• Authentication.
• Error Handling.

gRPC with Protocol Buffers: Advantages and Implementations

Protocol buffers make gRPC fast and more efficient.

syntax = "proto3";

service ChatService {

????rpc SendMessage (MessageRequest) returns (MessageResponse);

}

message MessageRequest {

????string text = 1;

}

message MessageResponse {

????string response = 1;

}

Comparing WebSocket and gRPC

• Protocol: WebSocket uses TCP, while gRPC runs on HTTP/2.
• Communication: Both support bidirectional communication.
• Serialization: WebSocket supports text and binary formats, while gRPC uses Protobuf (binary).
• Performance: WebSocket has lower overhead for constant connections, while gRPC is optimized for structured communication.
• Scalability: WebSocket relies on load balancers (e.g., NGINX, AWS ALB), while gRPC uses service discovery (e.g., Kubernetes, Consul).
• Load Balancing: WebSocket needs sticky sessions, while gRPC supports round-robin and least connections strategies.
• High Concurrency: WebSocket uses connection pools, while gRPC reuses connections and keeps them alive.
• Security: WebSocket uses TLS (wss://) with JWT verification, while gRPC supports mTLS and OAuth.
• Bandwidth: WebSocket can use binary format instead of JSON, while gRPC allows compression algorithms (e.g., gzip).
• Authentication: WebSocket supports JWT and OAuth, while gRPC uses TLS authentication and API gateways.
• Network Failure Handling: WebSocket applies reconnection logic, while gRPC uses retry policies and exponential backoff.
• Use Cases: WebSocket is ideal for chat and live updates, while gRPC is best for microservices and real-time data sharing.

Conclusion

WebSocket and gRPC both are strong and powerful tools for building real-time applications. WebSockets are famous for User-Interface and attractive features. On the other hand, gRPC is best for structured and high-performance backend communication. By combining their strengths, developers can build scalable, safe and highly efficient real-time applications.