Last year, we began streamlining our APIs to provide a single, unified REST API for the Orchestration Cluster. At that time, we announced that REST would become the default interface and that some gRPC endpoints not needed for low-latency use cases would be deprecated. Since then, we’ve listened to your feedback and are excited to share an important update to our gRPC strategy.
REST as the default, gRPC for advanced needs
Our commitment to REST as the default API remains unchanged. REST is familiar, widely adopted, and easy to use, making it the best choice for most integration scenarios. This ensures a smooth onboarding experience and broad compatibility for the majority of organizations.
However, we also recognize that some teams have advanced requirements that benefit from the unique capabilities of gRPC. That’s why we will retain all existing gRPC endpoints in Camunda 8, so teams with specialized needs can continue to access these powerful integration options.
Why are we keeping gRPC?
We’re keeping gRPC in Camunda 8 for a few specific reasons.
Flexibility for diverse use cases
Keeping gRPC available means you can choose the integration style that best fits your needs. This flexibility allows Camunda 8 to support a wider range of process orchestration scenarios, from simple to highly specialized.
Performance and efficiency for demanding workloads
gRPC is designed for high-speed, efficient communication between services. Its advanced features make it ideal for situations where performance and low-latency data exchange are essential. By retaining gRPC, Camunda 8 ensures that teams with demanding workloads have the tools they need for responsive and scalable automation.
A balanced approach
REST remains the primary focus in our documentation, onboarding, and default setup. gRPC is fully supported for those who need it, but will be disabled by default, so you don’t need to make any changes unless you specifically want to use it.
What does this mean for you?
Ultimately, this decision will have these impacts for your use case, no matter what:
- Easy to get started: REST is the recommended and default API, making it simple to integrate with Camunda 8. You don’t need to enable HTTP/2 or adjust your network unless you choose to use gRPC. Starting from 8.10, gRPC will be disabled by default in Self-Managed clusters. In SaaS, both APIs will be enabled so that clients can choose which one to use.
- Advanced options when needed: If your team has specialized requirements, gRPC endpoints are available and fully supported, so integration options never limit you.
- No extra overhead: Our supported clients handle the protocol complexity for you. REST is enabled by default, and you can enable gRPC if and when you need it.
Looking ahead
Our goal is to provide a seamless, unified API experience that empowers you to orchestrate processes at any scale, with the flexibility and performance you need. By retaining gRPC as a fully supported feature, Camunda 8 remains both approachable and powerful, ready to meet your needs today and in the future.
In the following releases, gRPC will be brought to parity with the process management endpoints available in the Orchestration Cluster API. However, query endpoints will remain exclusive to the REST API.
Thank you for your feedback and for being part of the Camunda community.
Start the discussion at forum.camunda.io