socket.io vs sockjs-client vs @microsoft/signalr vs socketcluster-client
Real-time Communication Libraries Comparison
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What's Real-time Communication Libraries?

Real-time communication libraries enable developers to create applications that require instant data exchange between clients and servers. These libraries facilitate WebSocket connections, enabling low-latency, bi-directional communication, which is essential for applications like chat apps, online gaming, and collaborative tools. Each library has its unique features, design principles, and use cases, making the choice of library crucial depending on the specific requirements of the project.

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socket.io7,521,13862,0811.41 MB2007 months agoMIT
sockjs-client3,213,4488,487700 kB30-MIT
@microsoft/signalr685,32436,7122.82 MB3,807a year agoMIT
socketcluster-client64,958297216 kB267 months agoMIT
Feature Comparison: socket.io vs sockjs-client vs @microsoft/signalr vs socketcluster-client

Transport Protocols

  • socket.io:

    Socket.IO also supports a variety of transport protocols, primarily WebSockets, but falls back to polling techniques if WebSockets are not available, ensuring robust connectivity across different environments.

  • sockjs-client:

    SockJS provides a WebSocket-like API and falls back to various protocols such as XHR streaming and long polling, ensuring compatibility with older browsers and environments where WebSockets are not supported.

  • @microsoft/signalr:

    SignalR supports multiple transport protocols, including WebSockets, Server-Sent Events, and Long Polling, automatically selecting the best available option based on the client's capabilities.

  • socketcluster-client:

    SocketCluster uses WebSockets as its primary transport but can also fall back to other protocols if necessary. It is optimized for real-time applications and can handle high-frequency message exchanges efficiently.

Scalability

  • socket.io:

    Socket.IO can be scaled horizontally using Redis or other message brokers, making it suitable for applications that require high availability and load balancing across multiple servers.

  • sockjs-client:

    SockJS is not inherently scalable but can be used in conjunction with other libraries or frameworks that manage scaling. It focuses more on providing a consistent API for real-time communication.

  • @microsoft/signalr:

    SignalR is designed to work well with ASP.NET applications, allowing for easy scaling through Azure SignalR Service, which handles connections and scaling automatically.

  • socketcluster-client:

    SocketCluster is built for scalability, supporting clustering out of the box. It allows you to distribute your application across multiple nodes and manage real-time connections efficiently.

Ease of Use

  • socket.io:

    Socket.IO is known for its simplicity and ease of use, offering a rich set of features and an intuitive API that allows developers to quickly implement real-time communication in their applications.

  • sockjs-client:

    SockJS is easy to use and provides a simple API for establishing connections, but it may require additional setup when used in conjunction with other libraries for full functionality.

  • @microsoft/signalr:

    SignalR provides a straightforward API that integrates well with .NET applications, making it easy for developers familiar with the Microsoft stack to implement real-time features without a steep learning curve.

  • socketcluster-client:

    SocketCluster has a steeper learning curve due to its focus on scalability and performance, requiring developers to understand its architecture and clustering mechanisms to fully utilize its capabilities.

Community and Ecosystem

  • socket.io:

    Socket.IO has a large and active community, with a wealth of plugins, middleware, and resources available, making it a popular choice for real-time applications across various platforms.

  • sockjs-client:

    SockJS has a moderate community presence, with sufficient documentation and examples available. It is often used in conjunction with other libraries, which may provide additional support.

  • @microsoft/signalr:

    SignalR benefits from strong support within the .NET community, with extensive documentation and resources available for developers working in the Microsoft ecosystem.

  • socketcluster-client:

    SocketCluster has a smaller community compared to Socket.IO but is gaining traction for its performance-oriented features. Documentation and community support are available but may not be as extensive.

Performance

  • socket.io:

    Socket.IO is designed for high performance and low latency, with features like multiplexing and automatic reconnection that enhance its efficiency in real-time applications.

  • sockjs-client:

    SockJS focuses on providing a reliable connection rather than raw performance, ensuring that applications can function in a variety of environments, even if it may not be as fast as pure WebSocket implementations.

  • @microsoft/signalr:

    SignalR is optimized for performance in ASP.NET applications, providing efficient message handling and connection management. It automatically manages reconnections and optimizes data transfer based on the transport protocol used.

  • socketcluster-client:

    SocketCluster is built for performance, allowing for high-frequency message exchanges and efficient handling of large numbers of concurrent connections, making it suitable for demanding real-time applications.

How to Choose: socket.io vs sockjs-client vs @microsoft/signalr vs socketcluster-client
  • socket.io:

    Choose Socket.IO for a highly versatile solution that works well across different platforms and browsers, providing fallbacks for environments that do not support WebSockets. It's ideal for real-time applications that require event-based communication.

  • sockjs-client:

    Choose SockJS if you need a library that provides a WebSocket-like API with graceful degradation, ensuring that your application can still function in environments where WebSockets are not available.

  • @microsoft/signalr:

    Choose SignalR if you are developing an ASP.NET application and need a library that integrates seamlessly with the .NET ecosystem, offering features like automatic reconnection and support for various transport protocols.

  • socketcluster-client:

    Choose SocketCluster if you need a scalable solution that supports clustering and is designed for high-performance applications. It is suitable for applications that require real-time data streaming and can handle a large number of concurrent connections.

Similar Npm Packages to socket.io

socket.io is a popular library for real-time web applications, enabling bidirectional communication between clients and servers. It abstracts the complexities of WebSocket connections and provides a simple API for building real-time features like chat applications, notifications, and live updates. Socket.io automatically falls back to other communication methods when WebSockets are not supported, making it a robust choice for various environments.

While socket.io is widely used, there are alternative libraries that also facilitate real-time communication. Here are a couple of notable alternatives:

  • uws (µWebSockets) is a highly efficient WebSocket library designed for performance and scalability. It is known for its low latency and high throughput, making it an excellent choice for applications that require handling a large number of concurrent connections. uws is particularly suitable for scenarios where performance is critical, such as gaming or real-time data streaming. However, it is worth noting that uws is more low-level compared to socket.io, meaning developers may need to implement additional features like reconnection logic and event handling manually.

  • ws is another lightweight WebSocket library for Node.js that provides a simple and straightforward API for establishing WebSocket connections. It is designed to be easy to use and integrates well with existing Node.js applications. While ws does not offer the same level of abstraction and additional features as socket.io, it is a solid choice for developers looking for a minimalistic solution to implement WebSocket communication without the overhead of a more complex library.

For a comprehensive comparison of these libraries, check out the following link: Comparing socket.io vs uws vs ws.

Similar Npm Packages to sockjs-client

sockjs-client is a JavaScript library that provides a WebSocket-like object for browsers, allowing for real-time communication between clients and servers. It is designed to work seamlessly across various browsers, even those that do not support WebSockets. By falling back to alternative transport methods like XHR streaming or long polling, sockjs-client ensures reliable communication in diverse environments. This makes it an excellent choice for applications that require real-time features but need to maintain compatibility across different platforms.

While sockjs-client is a robust option for real-time communication, there are several alternatives worth considering:

  • socket.io-client is a popular library that enables real-time, bidirectional communication between web clients and servers. It builds on WebSocket technology and provides additional features such as automatic reconnection, multiplexing, and support for fallback options. socket.io-client is widely used in applications that require real-time updates, such as chat applications or live notifications, due to its ease of use and extensive feature set.

  • stompjs is a JavaScript client for the STOMP (Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol) messaging protocol. It is particularly useful for applications that require message-oriented middleware and works well with WebSocket connections. stompjs allows for publish/subscribe messaging patterns, making it suitable for applications that need to handle complex messaging scenarios, such as chat applications or event-driven architectures.

  • websocket is a native JavaScript API that provides a way to open a persistent connection between the client and server. Unlike sockjs-client, which provides fallbacks for unsupported browsers, the WebSocket API requires that the browser supports WebSockets. It is ideal for applications that can guarantee a modern browser environment and need low-latency communication, such as online gaming or real-time collaboration tools.

To see how sockjs-client compares with socket.io-client, stompjs, and websocket, check out the comparison: Comparing socket.io-client vs sockjs-client vs stompjs vs websocket.

Similar Npm Packages to @microsoft/signalr

@microsoft/signalr is a library that enables real-time web functionality in applications built with ASP.NET Core. It provides a simple and efficient way to establish a connection between a client and a server, allowing for bi-directional communication. This is particularly useful for applications that require real-time updates, such as chat applications, live notifications, or collaborative tools. With features like automatic reconnection, connection state management, and support for various transport protocols, @microsoft/signalr is a robust choice for developers looking to implement real-time functionality in their applications.

However, there are several alternatives to @microsoft/signalr that also provide real-time communication capabilities:

  • socket.io is a widely-used library that enables real-time, bidirectional communication between web clients and servers. It abstracts the complexities of WebSocket and provides fallbacks for older browsers, making it a versatile choice for real-time applications. socket.io offers features such as rooms, namespaces, and event-based communication, making it suitable for a variety of use cases, including chat applications, live updates, and multiplayer games.

  • socketcluster-client is a client library for SocketCluster, a real-time framework that allows for scalable and efficient real-time communication. It supports WebSocket and provides features like automatic reconnection, presence management, and pub/sub messaging. If you're looking for a solution that can handle large-scale applications with many concurrent connections, socketcluster-client is a solid option.

  • sockjs-client is a JavaScript library that provides a WebSocket-like object in browsers that don’t support WebSockets. It offers a simple API for creating a connection and supports various transport protocols, ensuring that your application can maintain real-time communication even in less-than-ideal network conditions. If you need a lightweight solution that focuses on compatibility across different environments, sockjs-client is worth considering.

To see how @microsoft/signalr compares with socket.io, socketcluster-client, and sockjs-client, check out the comparison: Comparing @microsoft/signalr vs socket.io vs socketcluster-client vs sockjs-client.

Similar Npm Packages to socketcluster-client

socketcluster-client is a powerful library for real-time communication in web applications. It provides a client-side implementation for SocketCluster, enabling developers to create scalable and efficient real-time applications. With features like automatic reconnection, multiplexing, and support for various transport protocols, socketcluster-client is an excellent choice for applications that require real-time data exchange.

However, there are several alternatives in the ecosystem that also facilitate real-time communication. Here are a few notable ones:

  • engine.io-client is the client-side library for Engine.IO, which is the underlying transport layer for Socket.IO. It provides a simple API for establishing WebSocket connections and falls back to other transport methods when necessary. If you're looking for a lightweight solution that focuses on establishing connections with minimal overhead, engine.io-client is a solid option.
  • faye-websocket is a simple WebSocket client library that provides a straightforward API for connecting to WebSocket servers. It is particularly useful for applications that require a lightweight solution without the additional features provided by more complex libraries. If you need basic WebSocket functionality without the bells and whistles, faye-websocket is a great choice.
  • primus is a flexible and extensible real-time framework that abstracts various real-time communication libraries under a single API. It allows developers to choose their preferred WebSocket library while providing a consistent interface. If you want the flexibility to switch between different WebSocket implementations while maintaining a unified API, primus is worth considering.
  • socket.io-client is the client-side library for Socket.IO, which is widely used for real-time web applications. It offers a rich set of features, including automatic reconnection, rooms, and namespaces, making it suitable for complex real-time applications. If you're looking for a comprehensive solution with a robust feature set, socket.io-client is an excellent choice.
  • sockjs-client is a JavaScript library that provides a WebSocket-like object. It is designed to work in environments where WebSockets are not available, falling back to other transport methods. If you need a reliable solution that ensures connectivity in various environments, sockjs-client is a great option.
  • ws is a simple and efficient WebSocket library for Node.js. It provides a straightforward API for creating WebSocket servers and clients, making it a popular choice for server-side applications. If you are building a Node.js application and need a lightweight WebSocket implementation, ws is a strong candidate.

To compare these libraries, check out the following link: Comparing engine.io-client vs faye-websocket vs primus vs socket.io-client vs socketcluster-client vs sockjs-client vs ws.

README for socket.io

socket.io

Run on Repl.it Backers on Open Collective Sponsors on Open Collective Build Status NPM version Downloads

Features

Socket.IO enables real-time bidirectional event-based communication. It consists of:

Some implementations in other languages are also available:

Its main features are:

Reliability

Connections are established even in the presence of:

  • proxies and load balancers.
  • personal firewall and antivirus software.

For this purpose, it relies on Engine.IO, which first establishes a long-polling connection, then tries to upgrade to better transports that are "tested" on the side, like WebSocket. Please see the Goals section for more information.

Auto-reconnection support

Unless instructed otherwise a disconnected client will try to reconnect forever, until the server is available again. Please see the available reconnection options here.

Disconnection detection

A heartbeat mechanism is implemented at the Engine.IO level, allowing both the server and the client to know when the other one is not responding anymore.

That functionality is achieved with timers set on both the server and the client, with timeout values (the pingInterval and pingTimeout parameters) shared during the connection handshake. Those timers require any subsequent client calls to be directed to the same server, hence the sticky-session requirement when using multiples nodes.

Binary support

Any serializable data structures can be emitted, including:

Simple and convenient API

Sample code:

io.on('connection', socket => {
  socket.emit('request', /* … */); // emit an event to the socket
  io.emit('broadcast', /* … */); // emit an event to all connected sockets
  socket.on('reply', () => { /* … */ }); // listen to the event
});

Cross-browser

Browser support is tested in Sauce Labs:

Sauce Test Status

Multiplexing support

In order to create separation of concerns within your application (for example per module, or based on permissions), Socket.IO allows you to create several Namespaces, which will act as separate communication channels but will share the same underlying connection.

Room support

Within each Namespace, you can define arbitrary channels, called Rooms, that sockets can join and leave. You can then broadcast to any given room, reaching every socket that has joined it.

This is a useful feature to send notifications to a group of users, or to a given user connected on several devices for example.

Note: Socket.IO is not a WebSocket implementation. Although Socket.IO indeed uses WebSocket as a transport when possible, it adds some metadata to each packet: the packet type, the namespace and the ack id when a message acknowledgement is needed. That is why a WebSocket client will not be able to successfully connect to a Socket.IO server, and a Socket.IO client will not be able to connect to a WebSocket server (like ws://echo.websocket.org) either. Please see the protocol specification here.

Installation

// with npm
npm install socket.io

// with yarn
yarn add socket.io

How to use

The following example attaches socket.io to a plain Node.JS HTTP server listening on port 3000.

const server = require('http').createServer();
const io = require('socket.io')(server);
io.on('connection', client => {
  client.on('event', data => { /* … */ });
  client.on('disconnect', () => { /* … */ });
});
server.listen(3000);

Standalone

const io = require('socket.io')();
io.on('connection', client => { ... });
io.listen(3000);

Module syntax

import { Server } from "socket.io";
const io = new Server(server);
io.listen(3000);

In conjunction with Express

Starting with 3.0, express applications have become request handler functions that you pass to http or http Server instances. You need to pass the Server to socket.io, not the express application function. Also make sure to call .listen on the server, not the app.

const app = require('express')();
const server = require('http').createServer(app);
const io = require('socket.io')(server);
io.on('connection', () => { /* … */ });
server.listen(3000);

In conjunction with Koa

Like Express.JS, Koa works by exposing an application as a request handler function, but only by calling the callback method.

const app = require('koa')();
const server = require('http').createServer(app.callback());
const io = require('socket.io')(server);
io.on('connection', () => { /* … */ });
server.listen(3000);

In conjunction with Fastify

To integrate Socket.io in your Fastify application you just need to register fastify-socket.io plugin. It will create a decorator called io.

const app = require('fastify')();
app.register(require('fastify-socket.io'));
app.ready().then(() => {
    app.io.on('connection', () => { /* … */ });
})
app.listen(3000);

Documentation

Please see the documentation here.

The source code of the website can be found here. Contributions are welcome!

Debug / logging

Socket.IO is powered by debug. In order to see all the debug output, run your app with the environment variable DEBUG including the desired scope.

To see the output from all of Socket.IO's debugging scopes you can use:

DEBUG=socket.io* node myapp

Testing

npm test

This runs the gulp task test. By default the test will be run with the source code in lib directory.

Set the environmental variable TEST_VERSION to compat to test the transpiled es5-compat version of the code.

The gulp task test will always transpile the source code into es5 and export to dist first before running the test.

Backers

Support us with a monthly donation and help us continue our activities. [Become a backer]

Sponsors

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License

MIT

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