Ever wondered why some apps block you instantly while others just slow down?
Both rate limiting and throttling control traffic, but they solve different problems.
- Why are these two important for your API implementation?
- Which is the best concept to use while designing your API?
- What are the limitations?
Let Us Find Out.
Traffic control is not just about blocking requests. It is about protecting system health and user experience.
Rate limiting and throttling are often confused, but they serve different architectural goals.
Rate limiting defines a hard cap. Once a client exceeds the allowed number of requests within a time window, further requests are rejected. This is critical for preventing brute force attacks, scraping, and API abuse.
Throttling, on the other hand, slows down traffic instead of cutting it off completely. It allows systems to remain responsive during peak loads while discouraging aggressive request patterns.
In practice, high performing backend systems use both:
• Throttling to handle bursts and peak traffic.
• Rate limiting to block malicious behavior.
In system design, a strong implementation is not just designing them, but understanding when and why you combine them.
Rate limiting enforces fairness.
Throttling ensures stability.
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