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  1. Stackups
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  4. Realtime Backend API
  5. SocketCluster vs ws

SocketCluster vs ws

OverviewComparisonAlternatives

Overview

SocketCluster
SocketCluster
Stacks47
Followers168
Votes47
GitHub Stars6.2K
Forks322
ws
ws
Stacks1.2K
Followers190
Votes0
GitHub Stars22.5K
Forks2.5K

SocketCluster vs ws: What are the differences?

# Introduction
In the realm of web development, SocketCluster and ws are two popular libraries used to handle WebSocket connections efficiently. Despite their similar functionality, there are key differences between SocketCluster and ws that developers should be aware of.

1. **Performance**: SocketCluster is designed to provide a higher level of performance compared to ws. This is achieved by utilizing a cluster of Node.js processes with shared state, allowing for better scalability and reliability under high traffic conditions.
  
2. **Ease of Use**: SocketCluster offers a more comprehensive out-of-the-box solution, providing features such as authentication, authorization, and pub/sub functionality. On the other hand, ws is a more lightweight library that focuses primarily on WebSocket communication without additional built-in features.
  
3. **Scalability**: SocketCluster excels in scenarios where scalability is a critical factor. It supports horizontal scaling by distributing WebSocket connections among multiple instances of the server, whereas ws is more suitable for smaller-scale applications with lower traffic demands.
  
4. **Community Support**: ws has a larger community base and has been around longer than SocketCluster. This means that developers may find more resources, documentation, and community support when using ws compared to SocketCluster. However, SocketCluster's community is actively growing and improving.
  
5. **Customization**: SocketCluster offers a higher degree of customization and extensibility compared to ws. Developers can easily customize various aspects of SocketCluster to tailor it to their specific needs, whereas ws is more limited in terms of customization options.
  
6. **Reliability**: SocketCluster provides built-in features for handling WebSocket reconnections, automatic failover, and recovery mechanisms, enhancing the overall reliability of WebSocket connections. ws, while reliable, may require additional implementation for such features, depending on the use case.

In Summary, developers can choose between SocketCluster and ws based on factors such as performance, ease of use, scalability, community support, customization options, and reliability.

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CLI (Node.js)
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Manual

Detailed Comparison

SocketCluster
SocketCluster
ws
ws

SocketCluster is a fast, highly scalable HTTP + realtime server engine which lets you build multi-process realtime servers that make use of all CPU cores on a machine/instance. It removes the limitations of having to run your Node.js server as a single thread and makes your backend resilient by automatically recovering from worker crashes and aggregating errors into a central log.

It is a simple to use, blazing fast, and thoroughly tested WebSocket client and server implementation.

Resilient on both the client and backend - Process crashes, lost connections and other failures are handled seamlessly.;Scales linearly as you add more CPU cores and workers (assuming a decent OS) - Tested with up to 16 cores.;Also designed to scale horizontally across multiple machines. See sc-redis sample.
Simple to use;Blazing fast;WebSocket client and server for Node.js
Statistics
GitHub Stars
6.2K
GitHub Stars
22.5K
GitHub Forks
322
GitHub Forks
2.5K
Stacks
47
Stacks
1.2K
Followers
168
Followers
190
Votes
47
Votes
0
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 12
    Cluster mode is awesome
  • 8
    WebSockets
  • 7
    Scalability
  • 4
    Security
  • 4
    JWT based Authentication
No community feedback yet
Integrations
Node.js
Node.js
Node.js
Node.js

What are some alternatives to SocketCluster, ws?

Firebase

Firebase

Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.

Socket.IO

Socket.IO

It enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

PubNub

PubNub

PubNub makes it easy for you to add real-time capabilities to your apps, without worrying about the infrastructure. Build apps that allow your users to engage in real-time across mobile, browser, desktop and server.

Pusher

Pusher

Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features.

SignalR

SignalR

SignalR allows bi-directional communication between server and client. Servers can now push content to connected clients instantly as it becomes available. SignalR supports Web Sockets, and falls back to other compatible techniques for older browsers. SignalR includes APIs for connection management (for instance, connect and disconnect events), grouping connections, and authorization.

Ably

Ably

Ably offers WebSockets, stream resume, history, presence, and managed third-party integrations to make it simple to build, extend, and deliver digital realtime experiences at scale.

Syncano

Syncano

Syncano is a backend platform to build powerful real-time apps more efficiently. Integrate with any API, minimize boilerplate code and control your data - all from one place.

NATS

NATS

Unlike traditional enterprise messaging systems, NATS has an always-on dial tone that does whatever it takes to remain available. This forms a great base for building modern, reliable, and scalable cloud and distributed systems.

deepstream.io

deepstream.io

Scalable Server for Realtime Web Apps with JSON structures that can be read, manipulated and listened to, messages that can be sent to one or more subscribers, and request response workflows, between two clients or servers.

8base

8base

A cloud service designed to power enterprise-grade web and mobile applications that require support for large numbers of users, complex data and transactional requirements, comprehensive role-based security and a modern look-and-feel.

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