Web API vs. Rest API: What Are The Main Differences?

🔑Key Takeaways: 

• In web development, an API (Application Programming Interface) allows data sharing and communication between 2 applications or servers. 
• The differences between 2 of the commonly used APIs, Web API and Rest API, are based on the following: architectural style, interface, communication, and uses. 
• Web API asks the web server to request a response to a user’s call commanding a web application to do specific tasks. 
• Rest API works like any other website where a user starts to call a server, and it responds using the HTTP protocol. 
• Developers introduced the first version of API in the 1980s, but its development has started since the 1950s. 
• Web API was first introduced in the 1980s, while the development of Rest API started in the 2000s. 

Criteria

Web API

Rest API

Architectural style

Allows fine-coordinated changes between client and server-side 

Rest Architecture allows independent development on the client and server-side

Interface

Provides customized interfaces based on the API provider

Features an industry-uniform interface

Communication

Flexible for making use of any communication style

Mainly use XML, JSON, and plaintext formats

Uses

Ideal for streaming services since it’s binary data

Ideal for cloud services, apps, and data manipulation

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Mobile optimization of websites is also important for users. 74% of visitors are likely to revisit the website if it has a good mobile UX. 

Pros

Cons

Support for all architectural styles and communication protocols is available

Development cost is high

Can be used online and offline

Requires regular maintenance

Communication is more secure since it supports HTTP features

The process of creating this API is time-consuming

Can host it inside IIS or outside as a self-hosted application

Pros

Cons

Easy to understand and learn

No state mechanisms in place

Organizes complex applications for easier resource management

It does not demand security, unlike SOAP

Caching versioning and an HTTP proxy server allow it to manage high loads

Not ideal for sharing private or confidential data

Supports HTTP calls for retrieving requests and data

Difficulty in transferring or sharing binary data

Can easily synchronize data with any website 

Only supports limited representational state transfers

Fexible with XML, JSON, or plaintext formats.

Rest request verification is possible using OAuth protocols

What Are APIs? - Simply Explained

1950s – The beginning of the API idea

The first API idea aimed to help two computing devices communicate and share data. It was only limited to simple command-line interfaces. 

With this application program interface, programmers were able to interact with computers.

1960s to 1970s – The evolution of the API concept

APIs developed as more people used computers. From there, the term “API” referred to the interaction of an application with the rest of a specific computer.

1980s – The introduction of API for the Internet: The start of Web API

With the rise of the Internet having 5.16 billion users, APIs have become valuable. This also marked the start of Web APIs. 

These interfaces made remote procedure calls possible. The APIs used by local networks also started connecting to computers outside the network.

1990s – The growth of Web API

The high demand for applications made developers use Web APIs for data exchange. The process remained simple thanks to a standard set of protocols.

Early 2000s – The beginning of REST API

As developers recognized the potential of Web APIs, they invented REST APIs. It helped create a standard protocol that allowed two remote servers to communicate and exchange data from anywhere. 

Mid 2000s – Businesses and platforms started using Rest APIs

eBay and Amazon used the first Rest APIs. Then, Flickr used its own Rest API for social sharing. 

Facebook and Twitter joined later on. Amazon also used its API to contribute to the Cloud.

Late 2000s – Revolution of Companies using API

APIs became helpful for web development and even assisted companies in managing infrastructure.

2010s – New generation APIs for social media

As social media grew popular, developers created a new generation of APIs. Cloud platforms and third-party services use them to integrate with organizations' information systems. 

Cloud systems are crucial for users and enterprises, where 92% rely on multi-cloud services.  

2020s – The modernization of API

When everyone started depending heavily on web services, APIs continued to become mainstream. It is now used for AI construction and has become essential for IoT (Internet of Things) devices.