REST + JSON Versus gRPC + Protobuf
TradeoffMidSeniorUpdated
You're designing internal service-to-service APIs across polyglot backends with strict latency service level agreements (SLAs) and schema evolution.
Short answer: gRPC + Protobuf. gRPC has lower latency (HTTP/2 + binary protobuf), enforced schemas via .proto, codegen for many languages, and built-in streaming.
The Two Options
A
REST + JSON
B
gRPC + Protobuf
Drill This: Your Pick First
The Better Pick
Option B
gRPC + Protobuf
gRPC has lower latency (HTTP/2 + binary protobuf), enforced schemas via .proto, codegen for many languages, and built-in streaming.
When the Other One Wins
REST + JSON
For public-facing APIs consumed by browsers and third parties, REST/JSON is the dominant standard with better tooling and discoverability.