What is the key difference between a webhook and an API?

APIs are manual—they need to be asked to pull or modify data. Webhooks automatically send data in response to a specific event, without any request from another software. Webhooks are a subset of APIs and are therefore far more limited than APIs—they can only send information. APIs are more versatile. They're the intermediary between different software, so when you as the user attempt to learn or modify something in another software, the API verifies whether you have the right to do that and either approves or denies the request. Learn more

Is a webhook just a REST API?

REST is a set of rules or architectural constraints placed on APIs, whereas a webhook is a subset of an API. Since a REST API, despite its constraints, requires a user to request data for that data to be sent, it's not the same as a webhook, which doesn't require a data request. Learn more

Neither webhooks nor APIs are better than the other—they're just used for different circumstances. APIs are certainly more versatile than webhooks, whereas webhooks are simpler and more lightweight. Learn more

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Webhook vs. API: What's the difference and when should you use each one?

By Luke Strauss · December 10, 2024

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Luke Strauss

Based in sunny San Diego, Luke is a digital marketer with 3+ years of experience developing and executing content strategy for eCommerce startups and SaaS enterprises alike—Airtable, Zoom, and yes, Zapier—to name a few. When he isn’t diving into a keyword research rabbit hole, you can find him at a music festival, thrifting, or spending time with his friends and family.

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What are webhooks?

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