REST APIs vs HTTP APIs

~8 min read

Two API types within API Gateway, trading feature richness for cost and latency.

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Key points

  • REST APIs: full feature set (usage plans, API keys, request transformation), higher cost/latency
  • HTTP APIs: simpler, ~70% cheaper, lower latency, covers most common use cases
  • HTTP APIs lack usage plans/API keys and advanced request transformation
  • Default to HTTP APIs; use REST APIs only for a specific confirmed feature need