APIs REST versus gRPC

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis between REST (Representational State Transfer) and gRPC (gRPC Remote Procedure Call) architectures, both widely used in different case studies on the internet. REST is known for its simplicity and flexibility, utilizing HTTP methods and resource representations via URLs, while gRPC, developed by Google, offers a highperformance approach based on Protocol Buffers and remote procedure calls. To evaluate the differences between these architectures, a prototype implementing both approaches was developed, allowing for the analysis of aspects such as performance, scalability, and data exchange efficiency. The results indicate that gRPC offers advantages in terms of latency and resource consumption, while REST excels in ease of implementation and broad adoption. It is concluded that the choice between REST and gRPC should be based on the specific needs of each case study.