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How does MQTT compare with WebSockets?

question 3 connections

Audience question at wroclove.rb 2026. Emiliano sees them as different use cases rather than equivalents. WebSockets are typically used for client-to-server communication (e.g. browser ↔ server); MQTT is designed around a broker in the middle so the publisher doesn't talk directly to the server and cannot receive a direct response from it — responses require subscribing to another topic. On a follow-up ('so MQTT is between servers, WebSockets client-to-server?') he clarifies MQTT can equally connect many servers; the real distinction is broker-mediated pub/sub versus direct peer-to-peer.

answer_summary
Different use cases: WebSockets are direct client↔server; MQTT always goes through a broker, so publishers can't receive a direct reply and responses require subscribing to another topic.
question How does MQTT compare with WebSockets?
about
MQTT tool
Comparing MQTT broker-mediated pub/sub with direct WebSocket connections.
question How does MQTT compare with WebSockets?
about
WebSockets concept
The question contrasts MQTT with WebSocket-based communication.
question How does MQTT compare with WebSockets?
asked_at
When REST is Not Enough: Implementing Alternative Protocols in Ruby on Rails talk
Audience question during the talk's Q&A.

Provenance

Created in
When REST is Not Enough — Alternative Protocols in Ruby o... 2026-04-22 08:41