What is the difference between WebSockets and WebRTC?

WebSockets and WebRTC are fundamentally different communication technologies. WebSockets use a client-server model over TCP — all communication routes through a server, which acts as relay. WebRTC enables direct peer-to-peer communication between browsers (or native apps) — once a P2P connection is established via a signaling server, data travels directly between clients without a server intermediary. Key differences: (1) Latency — WebRTC P2P is often lower latency (no server hop) and uses UDP for real-time media; (2) Use cases — WebRTC is designed for audio/video streaming and high-frequency data; WebSockets for text messaging and event distribution; (3) Complexity — WebRTC requires ICE/STUN/TURN infrastructure for NAT traversal, SDP offer/answer negotiation; WebSocket is much simpler; (4) Browser support — both have wide support, but WebRTC implementation varies across browsers. WebSockets handle the WebRTC signaling channel (offer/answer exchange) in many implementations.