[Supanode](https://supanode.xyz/)[Learn](https://supanode.xyz/learn)Choose SSE, WebSocket or gRPC for blockchain data

# Choose SSE, WebSocket or gRPC for blockchain data

Separate the transport from the event stage, payload schema and recovery guarantees.

**On this page**[Transport is one architectural choice](https://supanode.xyz/learn/choose-blockchain-stream-transport#transport-is-one-architectural-choice)[Compare the mechanisms](https://supanode.xyz/learn/choose-blockchain-stream-transport#compare-the-mechanisms)[A practical selection process](https://supanode.xyz/learn/choose-blockchain-stream-transport#a-practical-selection-process)[Recovery is an application contract](https://supanode.xyz/learn/choose-blockchain-stream-transport#recovery-is-an-application-contract)[Sources](https://supanode.xyz/learn/choose-blockchain-stream-transport#sources)

## Transport is one architectural choice

The same blockchain event can be delivered through different transports and decoded into different payloads. A faster wire protocol does not move an event earlier in the ledger lifecycle. Choose the event stage and schema first, then select a transport that fits the consumer.

## Compare the mechanisms

| Transport | Mechanism | Useful question |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SSE | One-way server-to-client events over an HTTP response | Does a browser need simple pushed updates? |
| WebSocket | A bidirectional persistent connection | Does the API use subscriptions and client messages? |
| gRPC | Typed RPC with streaming and HTTP/2 flow control | Does a backend need schema-driven high-volume ingestion? |

These are protocol descriptions. They do not announce an SSE product or imply that every Supanode network exposes all three transports. Read the selected product Docs for its actual interface.

## A practical selection process

1.  Identify whether the consumer is a browser, backend collector or historical job.
2.  Measure expected payload size, messages per second and processing capacity.
3.  Check authentication, proxy buffering, keepalive and connection limits.
4.  Test reconnect recovery, deduplication and the available historical gap-repair mechanism.

## Recovery is an application contract

SSE can carry event IDs and Last-Event-ID, but a server must implement the corresponding replay behavior. WebSocket reconnection does not automatically restore subscriptions. gRPC flow control regulates delivery pressure; it does not create an unlimited replay archive. For a Solana backend, use the existing streaming guide for data-stage choices and then test the supported Supanode interface with your real filters.

## Sources

-   [HTML Server-Sent Events](https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/server-sent-events.html)
-   [WebSocket protocol](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6455)
-   [gRPC flow control](https://grpc.io/docs/guides/flow-control/)

## Continue reading

[Recover a WebSocket stream](https://supanode.xyz/learn/websocket-subscription-reconnect)[Learn library](https://supanode.xyz/learn)

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Source: https://supanode.xyz/learn/choose-blockchain-stream-transport