API Gateway WebSocket API versus ALB

04 Dec 2024

Learn how API Gateway WebSocket API differs from ALB.

API Gateway WebSocket API ALB
Type

Websocket

REST API

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