gRPC vs REST API in Solana
What communication architecture should you use when building on the Solana network?
One of the most important decisions is how to communicate with the network. The most common options are REST APIs and gRPCgRPC es un framework de código abierto de alto rendimiento … More. But which one is the right choice in a blockchain environment like Solana?
In this article we will explores both technologies through the lens of Solana infrastructure, helping you understand when each fits best, how much it costs to implement, and how they behave in real use cases like trading bots, dashboards, and on-chain analytics services.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison Table: gRPC vs REST API for Solana
| Criterion | gRPC (HTTP/2 + Protobuf) | REST API (HTTP/1.1 + JSON) |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Model | Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) | Resource-based CRUD over HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) |
| Data Format | Protobuf (binary, compact, efficient) | JSON or XML (human-readable but heavier) |
| Transport Protocol | HTTP/2 (multiplexing, header compression, streaming support) | HTTP/1.1 (simple but no native streaming) |
| Streaming Support | Full support: unary, client-streaming, server-streaming, bidirectional | None; only request-response |
| Schema/Contract | Strongly typed .proto files with auto-generated stubs in multiple languages | No enforced schema; Swagger/OpenAPI optional |
| Browser Support | Needs gRPC-Web + proxy (like Envoy or NGINX) | Fully compatible |
| Setup Complexity | Higher: .proto definitions, server setup, proxy, HTTP/2 configuration | Low: any web framework can expose REST endpoints |
| Performance | High throughput, lower CPU & bandwidth usage | Slower due to text-based JSON serialization |
| Solana Ecosystem Fit | Limited support, but growing use in custom RPCs and backend tools | Fully supported by most RPC endpoints and Solana libraries |
| Infra/Cost | Requires advanced setup, HTTP/2, and ops team | Standard setup; low initial cost |
| Best Use Cases in Solana | Indexers, real-time bots, polyglot backends, high-volume pipelines | Explorers, wallets, web dashboards, low-latency read APIs |
| Developer Experience | Type-safe SDKs, robust contracts, but steeper learning curve | Easier prototyping, debugging, and faster time-to-market |
🔍 What Is REST and How Is It Used in Solana?
REST is the most widely adopted architectural style for designing APIs. In Solana, it is mainly used for:
- Fetching balances
- Getting transaction info
- Submitting transactions
- Reading blocks and slot data
All of this happens through JSON-RPC over HTTP.
✅ REST Benefits
- Easy to implement and test
- Broad tool support (Postman, Curl, etc.)
- Universally compatible with frontend stacks
- Most Solana SDKs are REST-based
❌ REST Drawbacks
- No real-time data by default
- Requires polling to check for changes
- Higher network overhead due to JSON text
What Is gRPC and Why Consider It for Solana?
gRPC is a high-performance communication frameworkA framework is a structured platform that provides a set of … More developed by Google. It uses HTTP/2 for transport and Protobuf for compact, binary message serialization.
Developers define services with .proto files and generate client/server stubs for multiple languages (Rust, Go, JS, etc.).
✅ gRPC Benefits
- High throughput: Efficient for high-frequency messaging
- Bidirectional streaming: Server and client can both push data
- Typed contracts: .proto definitions avoid data mismatches
- Language-agnostic codegen: Perfect for multi-platform apps
❌ gRPC Limitations
- Not browser-native (you’ll need gRPC-Web and a proxy like Envoy)
- More complex setup and DevOps
- Limited first-party support in Solana (some projects do offer gRPC, but it’s not standard)
💸 Installation & Maintenance Costs
| Aspect | gRPC | REST |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Setup | Define .proto, generate stubs, set up proxy and HTTP/2 server | Simple endpoint setup using any web framework |
| Infrastructure Needs | HTTP/2 proxy/load balancer (Envoy, NGINX) | Standard HTTP/1.1 infra, no special setup |
| Scaling Strategy | Multiplexed streams → better efficiency at scale | One request per action → requires horizontal scaling sooner |
| DevOps Load | Higher: monitoring, tracing, secure config for HTTP/2 + Protobuf | Lower, minimal monitoring tools needed |
| Resource Usage | Less CPU and bandwidth (thanks to Protobuf and header compression) | Higher bandwidth and latency with large JSON messages |
🧪 In Practice: What Happens in the Solana World?
Currently, Solana infrastructure is dominated by REST and WebSocket endpoints. REST handles traditional queries, while WebSocket enables real-time subscriptions.
However, advanced teams building indexers, validators, or trading platforms are increasingly exploring gRPC to overcome REST’s limitations:
- Massive data throughput
- Real-time event processing (slots, transactions)
- Microservices communicating efficiently over Protobuf
Projects that implement custom gRPC endpoints benefit from faster event propagation, smaller payloads, and stronger API contracts.
⚖️ When to Choose gRPC or REST for Solana?
✅ Choose REST if:
- Your DApp is frontend-first or browser-based
- You need quick integration with wallets, dashboards, and explorer data
- Your team is familiar with HTTP/JSON APIs
- You want to start fast, then scale
✅ Choose gRPC if:
- You need high performance and scalability
- Your stack is multilingual, and you want strong type safety
- You’re building bots, indexers, or backend processors with intense messaging needs
- You’re ready to manage gRPC proxies and benefit from HTTP/2 multiplexing
🧵 Final Thoughts
REST APIs remain the go-to for most apps—simple to use, universally supported, and good enough for many use cases.
But if your project is moving into the high-performance zone—where milliseconds and megabytes matter—then gRPC can significantly optimize your pipeline. If you want a gRPC you can try ours 24hs for free in our discord channel.
Pro tip: Consider hybrid architectures—gRPC internally (between services), REST externally (for SDKs, browsers, or public endpoints).
📚 References and Docs
- gRPC Official Documentation (by Google)▸ https://grpc.io/docs/The canonical source for everything related to gRPC, including core concepts, supported languages, streaming, and gRPC-Web.
- Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) by Google▸ https://protobuf.dev/The official documentation for Protocol Buffers, gRPC’s underlying serialization format.
- HTTP/2 Standard (RFC 7540 by IETF)▸ https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7540The technical specification that defines HTTP/2, essential to understanding gRPC’s transport-layer advantages.
- OpenAPI Specification (OAS)▸ https://swagger.io/specification/The industry standard for defining RESTful APIs; often used to document and validate REST API endpoints.
- Solana JSON-RPC & REST API Docs▸ https://docs.solana.com/api/httpSolana’s official documentation for accessing network data and submitting transactions over HTTP.
- Envoy Proxy gRPC-Web Filter Docs▸ https://www.envoyproxy.io/docs/envoy/latest/configuration/http/http_filters/grpc_web_filterGuide to configuring Envoy to act as a proxy between browser-based clients and gRPC services.
