API Gateway REST API versus API Gateway WebSocket API

13 Mar 2026

Learn how API Gateway REST API differs from API Gateway WebSocket API.

	API Gateway REST API	API Gateway WebSocket API
Type	REST API	Websocket
HTTPS/TLS	✅	✅
Backends	✅ Lambda ✅ Public endpoint ✅ Private endpoint ✅ AWS Service APIs	✅ Lambda ✅ Public endpoint ✅ Private endpoint ✅ AWS Service APIs
Costs	💰💰	💰
Maturity	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Authentication	✅ IAM ✅ API Key ✅ OpenID Connect ✅ SAML ✅ Social ✅ Custom	✅ IAM ❌ API Key ❌ OpenID Connect ❌ SAML ❌ Social ✅ Custom
Tenant-based Throttling	✅	❌
Request Validation	✅	✅
Req./Res. Transformation	✅	✅
Endpoints	✅ Public ✅ Private	✅ Public ❌ Private
WAF	✅	❌

Further reading