MQTT vs REST in IoT [Which should I choose? ] (2023)

The Internet of Things IoT allows you to automate processes and increase efficiency in any environment. But none of this would be possible if it couldn't communicate with the device. For this, some form of language must be established to establish mutual understanding between clients and entities. This is where MQTT and REST come in.

MQTT vs. REST is a debate that resonates in the IoT community. Both allow communication between devices in your IoT project. But what is better?

On the one hand, MQTT has been praised for ensuring the reliability of messages, being extremely lightweight and easy to run on battery power. Whereas REST, used with HTTP or COAP to implement RESTful IoT services, is easy to use, scalable and language neutral.

Both have their advantages, of course. But where do they land? Finally, which one should you choose for your IoT project? Let's begin.

MQTT and REST APIs: What's the difference?

MQTT is a network protocol originally developed by IBM for IoT projects.

It allows communication between devices via TCP/IP and has a "publish-subscribe" model, which is good for projects with devices with low computing power and limited battery.

The "Publish-Subscribe" method in MQTT requires an "MQTT Broker". A broker is software running on a computer that acts as a sort of post office where entities can send data and receive data they "subscribe" to.

If you want to learn more about MQTT, check out our blog"What is MQTT in IoT and should I use it?'

Unlike MQTT, REST is not actually a messaging protocol. It is an architectural style for developing web services. REST stands for Representational State Transfer, and since it is an architectural style, it can be used with a variety of protocols, such as HTTP or CoAP.

You will often see MQTT appreciated for its simplicity, but it can also be a disadvantage. While MQTT primarily sends and receives very simple forms of data, the REST API can handle components such as files, objects and media. You can also use them with POST, DELETE, PUT and GET methods.

You can learn more about REST by reading our articleThe complete guide to IoT REST APIs.

MQTT: When to use it?

Now that you know the language, let's get into scenarios where you can use these IoT solutions. First MQTT.

Scenario 1: You are using a small or power-constrained device

The Internet of Things industry is growing, and with it comes a host of small, inexpensive products that can send and receive data with little processing power. MQTT is suitable for environments where these types of objects exist.

because? Because the MQTT protocol header is only 2 bytes long and because MQTT can be implemented with only a few lines of code. Therefore, the protocol maximizes the amount of power the battery can use by not sending or receiving unnecessarily large amounts of data. This reduces how often you have to replace the battery.

Scenario 2: You are in a remote location with limited connectivity

Another advantage of MQTT's lightweight nature is that since MQTT messages are small, devices can communicate with each other even with a poor Internet connection.

This can be beneficial for IoT projects that are in outdoor environments that are susceptible to issues like rain or where connections are often spotty. This is no surprise. MQTT was developed specifically for the oil and gas industry and is therefore designed to work in the desert.

So if you need reliable messaging no matter where you are, MQTT can be a good protocol choice.

Scenario 3: You need to ensure the delivery of messages

If your IoT project requires delivery confirmation of messages, MQTT may be the best solution. Let's take an automated farm as an example. Here, the object responsible for watering the products can only do so after the object responsible for monitoring the land notifies that the time has passed. Otherwise, you will drown the product.

MQTT has three indicators, called QOS (Quality of Service), which are classified as follows:

• QoS 0: At most one delivery
• QoS 1: delivery at least once
• QoS 2: Exactly once delivery

You can apply these flags to any message you think needs it. So you can be sure to receive important messages.

REST: when should you use it?

what about rest When can you use the most common kind of API? We will wait and see.

Scenario 1: Can be used to integrate with COAP

CoAP is an internet protocol for limited devices that allows communication between devices over the internet.

If you have small devices in your IoT project and HTTP+TLS/SSL might be too big a protocol for them, you can use REST to integrate with CoAP and still use RESTful programming for small devices.

You can learn more about CoAP by reading our blog,Websockets vs. MQTT vs. CoAP: What is the best protocol?

Scenario 2: You need data flexibility

Using REST with HTTP or CoAP allows you to work with components such as files, objects, and media on specific IoT devices.

This means that using REST allows you to communicate with many types of data across devices, rather than being limited to simple small messages like using MQTT. If you think your IoT project has more complex devices and you need to handle larger data types, then REST is the best option for you.

Scenario 3: You are already familiar with the REST API

If you've ever worked in web development and have experience with RESTful services, it should be easy for you to learn how to apply REST to IoT projects. Time is precious in everyone's life, if you can take past knowledge and apply it to a new situation, why not?

Using REST in your IoT project will make it work in a more standard and understandable way, and also allows you to use POST, GET, PUT and DELETE methods in database systems like SQL through CRUD.

This will also be an advantage, as knowledge of the architecture allows you to make fewer errors, find their causes faster and develop solutions more efficiently.

MQTT vs. REST: How do they compare in the areas that matter most to IoT developers?

Now that we've seen when you might use MQTT or REST, let's see how they perform in the key areas that matter most to IoT developers.

These include:

• Latency and responsiveness
• one-to-many communication
• Security
• privacy
• easy for developers

Latency and responsiveness

Regardless of the scope of your IoT project,low latencyResponsiveness must be a top priority.

Even if you have a relatively small project, you should aim for its reliability and not waste your (or anyone else's) time. MQTT suffers from high latency for the same reason that it is suitable for low bandwidth: it is suitable for small devices with low processing power.

This means that things like opening a locked door can take seconds, if not minutes, or controlling a security camera can be unreliable because instructions about moving locations can take seconds.

On the other hand, REST does not suffer from high latency due to its client-server model. Latency may not be an issue for some projects, but it can be a major problem in industry or healthcare. In general, REST is the best choice for IoT projects where latency and responsiveness are a priority.

Winner: Rest

one-to-many communication

MQTT provides a publish and subscribe system that makes synchronous communication between devices very easy. An MQTT broker allows multiple devices to receive data as soon as another device changes state or decides to send data to the broker.

This makes MQTT ideal for projects that require one-to-many communication. Using a publishing subscription system, you can individually change the temperature of each room in your house as the outside temperature changes, or you can turn on each light bulb as the brightness outside drops.

So if your IoT project has many devices that need to communicate with each other continuously, automatically and simultaneously, MQTT can help you achieve this easily.

Winner: MQTT

Security and privacy

Neither HTTP nor MQTT have built-in security.

For HTTP, this can be solved by adding TLS/SSL. But if that's too much for your device, Nabto Edge has CoAP+DTLS built in. This gives REST a clear advantage inOvercoming IoT Security Challenges.

In terms of privacy, MQTT also lags behind. It does not provide end-to-end encryption. This leaves user data vulnerable as it passes through the cloud. But with Nabto Edge, all data is end-to-end encrypted and never needs to leave the device. Thus, the end user retains control and privacy over the data. REST is the clear winner.

Winner: Rest

easy for developers

Results in this category should come as no surprise. As mentioned above, REST is a familiar architecture for most of the back-end services that power the World Wide Web. So developers can choose and share with each other very easily.

MQTT, on the other hand, requires developers to jump through several hoops. Require:

• Configure central services
• Decisions about the seller
• Regular management and maintenance
• Overall, it's troublesome.

While some developers are frustrated by REST's limited architecture, it remains the most popular API for one reason: simplicity.

Winner: Rest

MQTT vs. REST: Konklusion

We declare REST the winner: REST-based solutions are more developer-friendly, have lower latency, and have better IoT privacy and security. Plus, with Nabto Edge, you can turn REST into a better API for your IoT devices.

contact us todayLearn more about Nabto Edge and our various IoT solutions.

Read our other resources

We publish various IoT resources to the community, including:

• Comparison of IoT protocols, which provides a comprehensive comparison of the main available protocols and standards.
• Purchase and construction of an IoT platform, which discusses how to choose the best solution for you.
• our guideHow to develop IoT applicationsand which platforms are available to you.