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HTTP vs WebSocket vs SSE: Choosing Real-Time

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Three patterns, one goal

Real-time web apps need data to flow from server to client as it changes. Three patterns solve this at different levels of complexity and capability:

1. HTTP Polling — client asks repeatedly 2. Server-Sent Events — server pushes over one HTTP connection 3. WebSockets — full bidirectional pipe

Choosing the right one determines your architecture's complexity, scalability, and infrastructure compatibility.

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