Google Cloud Endpoints vs REST: What are the differences?

1. Implementation: Google Cloud Endpoints provide an easier way to develop, deploy, and maintain APIs compared to traditional REST APIs. With Cloud Endpoints, you can define your API configuration in a configuration file, which is then used to automatically generate client libraries and API documentation.

2. Scalability: Google Cloud Endpoints offer better scalability through features like built-in DDoS protection, CDN caching, and automatic scaling based on usage patterns. REST APIs might require additional setup and configurations to achieve similar levels of scalability.

3. Security: Google Cloud Endpoints provide built-in support for authentication and authorization using Firebase Authentication, Google Cloud Identity Aware Proxy, and OAuth 2.0. REST APIs typically require manual implementation of security measures, which can be prone to human error.

4. Monitoring and Logging: Google Cloud Endpoints offer integrated monitoring and logging through Google Cloud Monitoring and Google Cloud Logging. This allows developers to easily track API usage, errors, and performance metrics. In contrast, monitoring and logging for REST APIs may need to be implemented separately using third-party tools.

5. Versioning: Google Cloud Endpoints provide support for API versioning, allowing developers to manage different versions of their APIs and deprecate older versions gradually. REST APIs may not have built-in support for versioning, leading to potential conflicts between clients using different versions of the API.

6. Error Handling: Google Cloud Endpoints offer standardized error handling using Google API Error Model, making it easier for clients to understand and act upon errors returned by the API. Traditional REST APIs may have varying error formats and approaches to error handling, potentially leading to confusion for clients.

In Summary, Google Cloud Endpoints provide a more comprehensive, scalable, and secure solution for API development compared to traditional REST APIs.