However, the differences between User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) can be confusing.
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Here is your guide to these important standards and everything you need to know to understand the significant differences between UDP and TCP protocols.
TCP is focused on efficient and reliable data transfers. The TCP protocol establishes a session through handshakes to deliver data successfully. If data packets fail to transfer successfully, they are sent again. TCP will also use packet sequencing, which breaks large volumes of data up into smaller units to ensure that information is sent successfully, receiving confirmation before moving to the next packet.
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UDP, however, doesn’t stop for confirmation while sending data, nor will it necessarily resend lost packets. The trade-off for a lack of error monitoring is a gain in speed – with some information potentially lost in the process.
While TCP requires handshakes between machines and there is delay tolerance, UDP is known as a “fire and forget” protocol. As Red Hat explains:
In other words, TCP focuses on reliable, accurate data transmission, with speed as a trade-off. UDP does the opposite and prioritizes speed, and does not provide a guarantee for packet ordering or transmission. UDP may also be more susceptible to Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
This back-and-forth eats up time. UDP has no back-and-forth connection handshake.
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While the IETF has now proposed a standard for HTTP/3 over QUIC as a new protocol that can potentially balance both concepts, UDP and TCP are still very much in use worldwide.
You should use UDP when uninterrupted, quick transfers are the priority. For example, a few missing data packets going astray on a video call is a worthwhile trade-off when keeping the call going in real time is far more important.
