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TCP vs UDP

TCP is reliable and connection-oriented; UDP is connectionless and prioritized for speed over reliability.

Definition

TCP is reliable and connection-oriented; UDP is connectionless and prioritized for speed over reliability.

Use case

Using TCP for financial transactions and UDP for real-time multiplayer video gaming streams.

Related terms

Articles

UDP

MDN · Article · link checked 2026-10-16

The fast, unreliable sibling of TCP, and when to prefer it.

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