What Are WebSockets (In Simple Terms)?

WebSockets allow two-way communication between the browser and the server without the client having to constantly ask, “Anything new yet?” Unlike HTTP requests, WebSockets stay open—ready to push new data as soon as it’s available.

That sounds real-time—and it is. But let’s ask the real question:

Do your users actually need real-time?

When Real-Time Actually Makes Sense

There are legitimate use cases where WebSockets are the right tool:

  • Chat applications (Slack, Discord)
  • Collaborative tools (Google Docs-style editing)
  • Stock trading platforms (real-time price updates)
  • Online games (of course)

Notice a pattern? These aren’t your average SaaS dashboards or CRMs. They’re apps where immediacy is the product. If that’s not you, keep reading.

The Overhead of Real-Time Everything

More Than Just a Socket

WebSockets require persistent connections. That means:

  • Load balancers that can handle sticky sessions
  • Connection tracking
  • Scalability planning (thousands of concurrent users = thousands of open sockets)
  • Security implications (persistent connections increase your attack surface)

Compare that to the elegance of REST + polling or server-sent events (SSEs) for low-frequency updates.

Check our SaaS Web Development Services to see how we architect lean, scalable apps without overengineering.

More Errors, More Debugging, More Pain

WebSockets don’t play nice with flaky networks. They require complex reconnection logic, heartbeat checks, and error recovery. Want to know what that looks like? Just peek at a typical WebSocket retry handler—it’s longer than your last vacation.

You’re not just building features anymore. You’re building infrastructure.

Infrastructure Cost Goes Up

Persistent connections often require:

  • WebSocket-aware proxies (like NGINX with special configs)
  • Horizontal scaling strategies that include session handling
  • More powerful servers to maintain idle connections

That $5 DigitalOcean droplet won’t cut it.

Need support planning for scale? Contact us to get an audit before things break in production.

Alternatives That Work (Most of the Time)

  • REST + Polling: Surprisingly effective for most dashboards. If your users can wait 10–30 seconds for an update, this is all you need.
  • Server-Sent Events (SSE): Lightweight, one-way push ideal for updates that don’t require client feedback.
  • Long Polling: An older trick, still useful for low-scale apps.

Curious how your frontend handles real-time today? Read Frontend Performance Optimization for SaaS.

The Real Problem: Dev FOMO

Let’s be honest: a lot of WebSocket usage isn’t product-driven. It’s developer-driven. We want to build “cool stuff.” But that “cool stuff” needs to survive staging, QA, production, scale, support… and billing.

Remember: every architectural decision should map to business value. Not developer dopamine.

See why bloated infrastructure kills conversion in our post: Speed Sells in SaaS

When You Should Use WebSockets

Let’s be fair. If your SaaS includes any of the following:

  • High-frequency updates (sub-second precision)
  • Multiple users working on the same data in real time
  • Critical operations that depend on instant feedback

...then yes, WebSockets may be the best option. But if you’re showing monthly reports or toggling feature flags, you don’t need a firehose.

Final Thoughts: Choose Boring Over Broken

WebSockets are powerful. But like any power tool, they require skill, safety, and a good reason to use them. For most SaaS platforms, simpler is better. You don’t need real-time—you need real value
 

[banner=1]