This document compares SOAP and REST web services protocols for selecting the right protocol. It provides a flowchart to guide the decision. REST should be used unless there is a specific reason to use SOAP. REST is simpler, faster, more scalable and supports web/mobile clients better. SOAP supports more transports, sessions, transactions, and enterprise security features. The document lists advantages of REST like simplicity, wider data formats support, and performance/scalability. It also lists advantages of SOAP like wider transport support, session/state support, transaction support, and better error handling.
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