REST API vs SOAP API

REST (Representational State Transfer) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) are the two most common methods for client-server communication. REST uses standard HTTP methods and is lightweight, while SOAP is a protocol with strict rules, often used in complex enterprise systems.

REST API

REST or Representational State Transfer, is an architectural style for building web services. It is mostly used for lightweight and stateless communication. It uses simple HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT and DELETE to perform operations on the data resources.

• Rest uses URI, i.e., Uniform Resource Identifier and assumes everything as a resource.
• It does not store any past data or requests and performs independent operations.
• It relies on the HTTP method to request any type of operation on the resource.
• REST can work with any format (JSON, XML, HTML, plain text). JSON is the most common.

SOAP API

SOAP, or Simple Object Access Protocol, is a messaging protocol. It allows the exchange of structural information without any platform. Soap uses the XML data format due to its complexity. It is mostly used for complex systems with strict standards ensuring security and reliability.

• SOAP is a protocol as it has some strict rules for data format and communication.
• It manages the records and maintains the state between the requests.
• SOAP relies on SSL and WS-Security for secure communication.
• SOAP works with the XML data format to handle the complex data.

Difference between SOAP API and REST API