Are you looking for an API for data communication between web services? Do you want to connect your application with Instagram or any other social network? If yes, it's necessary to understand the difference between popular APIs named SOAP and REST API. Both APIs follow very strict communication contracts to transfer data between web services. Before selecting an API for your project, you need to understand the difference between REST and SOAP API. In this article, we will discuss an API, REST API, SOAP API, the best API to connect your app with web services, REST v/s SOAP, and the best examples of both APIs. Let's begin with the introduction of API for a web service.
What is an API?
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a technology that connects two applications to excess data and services in a client-server model. APIs allow two applications to transmit data objects and are a revolution for applications that follow client-server protocols. Using an API for web services can allow you to organize IT infrastructure, automate workflows, and transmit data among multiple mobile devices. You might be wondering about the security of transmitted data between the software.
So using an API is a secure and proven way two connect web services in seconds. It allows an application to enhance functionality by extracting information from other applications. But you might be concerned about how an API post a request, load data, and transfer it in a particular data format. So the answer to this is that it depends on how you have built an API for your app. In this article, we will discuss the two common APIs to connect two applications for data transfer. Let's dig deeper into the details of SOAP vs REST:
What is a REST API?
REST stands for Representational State Transfer and is a popular API for web services. REST APIs work with HTTP protocol and use JSON data formats to increase browsers' compatibility. The noticeable thing is that REST API can also work with SOAP protocol to provide smooth communication for web services. You might be wondering about the process of creating a REST API. Sometimes building and scaling an API is simple, but it may add some complications based on its building process. You might be wondering about the scenarios where it is crucial to build REST API for a web service. So, we are enlisting some reasons why you can use REST APIs to communicate data between applications:
- Limited resources
- Low need for security
- To make the browser compatible with the client
- To improve data health
- To scale a web service
Note: As we mentioned above, you can use SOAP protocol to build a REST API. The noticeable thing is that REST API offers an architectural style for web services, while SOAP is a protocol. So, it's up to you whether you want to use the HTTP or SOAP protocol to build a REST API according to your project needs.
We are unveiling the crucial factors about REST API you need to know before selecting it for your web service:
- REST stands for Representational State Transfer and is a simple architectural style that uses HTTP protocol to communicate data between web services in a client-server environment.
- REST APIs exchange data in a client-server environment where the client posts a request, and REST permits the server to load data. So building rustful web services means you want your web services to transmit data objects in JSON data format, setting a client-server environment. This is just an architectural pattern that uses data consistency models for smooth communication between applications. So, this API supports reliable messaging functionality that receives a request from clients, and REST API permits the transmission of the requested user data with the flow.
- REST APIs use a single interface to simplify the communication process for both the client and server.
- REST APIs are used to optimize the web services and use JSON data format to make it compatible with the browser.
- If you want to scale your web services, REST API offers scalability with improvement in performance for both client and server. REST API accepts a request from the client and transmits it to the server to load data. Apart from the benefits of using REST API, sometimes its enterprise-level security tools may compromise the security of your app data. So, programming languages like GraphQL play a role in mitigating these security problems.
What is SOAP?
SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol. SOAP API allows applications to communicate messages even if they are written in different programming languages. It's a protocol with more complexity in terms of security and data communication. Because this protocol deals with messages, the main focus is to prevent unauthorized access through WS security. SOAP API uses built-in protocols that make it complex to use.
Image Source garba.org/Author Ernesto Garbarino
Companies looking for more advanced enterprise-level security features can implement SOAP for their web services. The difficulty in SOAP APIs lies in the use of different programming languages for message transmission. SOAP uses XML format for communication which makes it a complex API. While some programming languages require building HTTP post requests manually, and it's a problem as SOAP API has no error tolerance. However, SOAP provides shortcuts for some programming languages, such as .NET.
Moreover, SOAP protocol uses the file of another programming language known as SOAP API WSDL file to define the workflow of a web service. This file will create a reference through IDE to automate the process. So, the complexity of SOAP APIs depends on the number of programming languages used in the data transmission.
So, we are unveiling the crucial things to consider about SOAP APIs before deciding:
- You can use SOAP API when there is a need for strict security standards with SSL support. SOAP API uses an underlying protocol called WS-Security for enterprise-level security of the applications and to communicate with the legacy systems.
- SOAP messages are another reason that can trigger you to choose this protocol. SOAP API offers reliable messaging functionality that the SOAP messages transmit successfully through built-in and end-to-end SOAP intermediaries.
- SOAP API incorporates ACID compliance. ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability, and this compliance reduces redundancies and adds security and integrity to the SOAP messages. The noticeable thing is that ACID compliance with SOAP messages is more traditional than other data consistency models. That's why SOAP API is used to handle sensitive data formats such as bank transactions.
Deciding Between SOAP and REST
So far, we have discussed every bit about REST v/s SOAP and how you can use them to connect different applications. But these APIs are not the best option for every scenario. So you need to choose an API cautiously to save your resources. Now it's time to decide between SOAP and REST API to make your resources accessible in no time. Both APIs have some similarities, such as the use of HTTP post request, but SOAP API is more rigid than REST and widely used in legacy systems. Both APIs have a set of rules and standards to exchange data in any data format between the applications. So, before selecting any API from your web service, it's crucial to abide by these rules. The noticeable thing is that not all web services support both APIs except a few web services, such as Amazon. Your decision to choose an API will depend on the requirements of your web services. Here we are unveiling the competitive advantages of both APIs. Let's start with the advantages of SOAP API:
SOAP advantages
Unlike REST API, SOAP API supports programming languages and can integrate any communication protocol rather than using only the HTTP protocol. Moreover, SOAP protocol works efficiently in a distributed setting, while REST APIs work efficiently in direct/point-to-point communication.
- SOAP offers in-built security protocols such as WS security protocols.
- SOAP APIs offer built-in options for error handling.
- SOAP supports automation when used with a programming language.
After going through the advantages of SOAP API, let's unveil the benefits of REST API to make your decision more explicit.
REST advantages
Unlike SOAP, REST is more straightforward and flexible in terms of its use.
- REST API doesn't require expensive tools and advanced programming languages to connect applications
- REST API is easy to learn with a smaller learning curve.
- REST is more efficient as it doesn't use XML format for message transmission.
- Its design philosophy is similar to other web technologies, so you can learn it without facing any difficulty.
A REST Example
If we talk about REST vs SOAP, Representation State Transfer (REST) API is simple and requires only a URL to connect with the web services. You can enter the URL to any browser, and the output will be in CSV format. REST API works in client-server settings where you can make a request, and REST will connect both client and the server via HTTP protocol to make a response. REST also uses Web Application Description Language (WADL) to identify the task and metadata. The prominent REST requests include GET, POST, PUSH and DELETE. Let's take an example of bookstore API:
- A client sends a GET request to retrieve a specific book from bookstore.
- A POST request will add a new book to the bookstore.
- PUT request will update the content of a book with a specific book ID.
- DELETE request will delete a book record from the bookstore.
A SOAP Example
SOAP uses HTTP POST requests in the request body. The XML request body is a SOAP wrapper to recognize the API, and the SOAP body represents request variables. Let's say you want to fetch the user name " Smith ."For this message, SOAP API uses HTTP or any other protocol for communication.
Unlike REST APIs, SOAP can use any underlying protocol, such as SMTP or TCP. Another noticeable thing about SOAP messages is that they are always in XML format and acts as a wrapper or Envelope in this example. Envelop covers the header and the body of the SOAP message. At the same time, Web Service Description Language (WSDL) consists of all the remaining elements of the message.
SOAP vs. REST: The key differences
After going through the broad view of SOAP and REST APIs, it's time to explore the key differences between SOAP vs REST. Let's start:
- SOAP API works with SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) protocol, while REST API works with REST (Representational State Transfer) protocol.
- SOAP API transmits SOAP messages in standard XML format due to its statefulness, while REST API doesn't follow a data format due to its statelessness.
- SOAP works with WSDL due to XML format, while REST APIs use requests such as GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE.
- SOAP can work with any communication protocol, such as HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, SMTP, and XMPP, while REST works with only HTTP protocol for communication.
- SOAP API is more structured, while REST uses data in bulky form.
- SOAP is the best choice for large organizations looking for WS security, such as banks, while REST works efficiently with mobile devices. SOAP is a stateful protocol that uses SOAP WSDL files to keep information about all the activities on a web service, while REST is a stateless architectural style to make a web service a trustful service. REST API works in a client-server environment with cacheable communication between applications.
- SOAP protocol requires high bandwidth for execution, while REST requires a minimum bandwidth of mobile devices for implementation.
- SOAP can't REST because it's a protocol, while REST can use SOAP due to its architectural style.
- SOAP has high-security standards and uses WS security for high-level security to organizations, while REST use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and HTTPS protocol for security. Organizations that require high-security protocols use SOAP API to secure the users' sensitive information. For example, banks use SOAP to make users' data secure, such as card no and pins.
- SOAP supports XML data format, while REST API supports plain text, XML, HTML, JSON, etc.
- SOAP is a standard protocol that transfers function-driven information, while REST has an architectural style with a more data-driven approach.
- SOAP can't cache the calls, while REST can cache all the calls making it faster than SOAP.
SOAP and REST Alternatives (JSON, gRPC, GraphQL)
Over the past few years, SOAP and REST APIs are the popular choices to connect web services, but some other alternatives are always available. Let's take a broad view into the alternatives:
JSON
JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation and is a great way to transfer data between different applications. This technology is lightweight and can be used to transfer data from a server to a web page. This API can replace SOAP due to its simplicity and faster transmission.
gRPC
Google introduced an open-source system, gRPC (Remote Procedure Call) which uses HTTP for data communication. This technology was popular before the development of REST and SOAP API. This technology is widely used to connect applications and mobile devices with the back end and microarchitecture services. This transmission technology has competitive advantages over JSON due to lightweight communication, efficiency, built-in code generation, and more connection options, such as message streaming.
GraphQL
GraphQL is a query-based programming language that efficiently transmits data in a client and server environment. It's a new technology introduced by Facebook that supports multiple functions for data modification, and its servers support programming languages such as C++, JavaScript, Python, and more.
GraphQL works like REST because it uses HTTP and JSON formats for data communication. You can access data from API in a single call with GraphQL, while REST requires separate calls for data access. Let's say you want to access customer data, such as orders and shipment status, using REST, and you would have to make separate requests for each piece of data. But using GraphQL, we can access data in a single request which would help you to minimize the workload.
Apart from these alternatives, you can use no-code app development platforms like AppMaster to create no-code APIs for your web service.
Is REST API faster than SOAP?
Many high-level organizations, such as banks and legacy systems, may still want to implement SOAP, but REST is still faster than SOAP. REST is more flexible and offers faster data communication, while SOAP protocol has specific requirements of an XML format for data communication. So the use of XML data format makes SOAP a heavy protocol for data transmission between applications.
Emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI applications, mobile app development, and distributed computing, use REST APIs on a wide scale due to their flexibility and lightweight. Moreover, REST supports plain text and provides REST API tutorials. On the other hand, SOAP offers built-in security protocols to meet the security needs of organizations, but the use of these underlying protocols makes it heavier. Due to the fast speed of REST API, public APIs, such as Google Maps, follows the rules and guidelines of REST.
How to create a no-code API?
After going through REST v/s SOAP and other alternatives, you might be looking for an API solution that doesn't require coding. The best option to integrate your application with an API is no code solutions like AppMaster. AppMaster will help you to integrate your workflow with hundreds of apps and services or accesses your content programmatically with API.
Here we are unveiling the top benefits of using AppMaster to integrate your workflow with different applications. Let's start with the following:
- Integration of modules in a single click
You can make your app or web service more efficient by integrating it with a no-code API module. These modules contain ready-made templates that allow users to optimize the speed of the application with third-party API. You can add these modules using a no-code platform like AppMaster to integrate these modules in a single click. For this purpose, you can visit the marketplace and add a module to increase the efficiency of your workflow.
- Documentation and examples
AppMaster provides documentation and real-time examples of module implementation for better understanding.
Final Thoughts
After going through this guide, we hope you are well-versed in the difference between Representational State Transfer (REST) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). We hope you are all set to choose an API to connect applications for faster communication. Apart from the benefits of APIs, we recommend you try AppMaster to reduce the cost of your project.
AppMaster is a popular no-code tool that allows businesses to integrate APIs with their applications in a single click. This popular no-code platform has integration with third-party APIs, and you can create any request, just like in Postman, use this request in your functions, and process the result of the request. Try AppMaster for faster integration with an API to optimize your application.
