Loren describes the differences between gRPC and GraphQL and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of each. They give a rule of thumb (GraphQL for client-server and gRPC for server-to-server) and note cases in which you might want to make exceptions to the rule.

Connect’s creators call it a “better gRPC”, but I am in no position to evaluate that claim so I will leave it as an exercise for you. Here’s what they have to say about it:

Connect is production-ready — focused, simple, and debuggable — and it’s fully compatible with gRPC clients and servers. If you’re frustrated by the complexity and instability of today’s gRPC libraries, we think you’ll find Connect a breath of fresh air.

Go library out now. Connect for TypeScript is “coming soon”

Front-enders should check this out! Johan Brandhorst reviews the history of gRPC in the browser, the state of things today, and thoughts on the future of gRPC-Web.

gRPC-Web is an excellent choice for web developers. It brings the portability, performance, and engineering of a sophisticated protocol into the browser, and marks an exciting time for frontend developers!

So far the benefits have largely only been available to mobile app and backend developers, whilst frontend developers have had to continue to rely on JSON REST interfaces as their primary means of information exchange. However, with the release of gRPC-Web, gRPC is poised to become a valuable addition in the toolbox of frontend developers.