Web API over WCF REST

 Web API Controller vs MVC Controller

ApiControllers are specialized in returning data. For example, they take care of transparently serializing the data into the format requested by the client. Also, they follow a different routing scheme by default (as in: mapping URLs to actions), providing a REST-ful API by convention.
You could probably do anything using a Controller instead of an ApiController with the some(?) manual coding. In the end, both controllers build upon the ASP.NET foundation. But having a REST-ful API is such a common requirement today that WebAPI was created to simplify the implementation of a such an API.
It's fairly simple to decide between the two: if you're writing an HTML based web/internet/intranet application - maybe with the occasional AJAX call returning json here and there - stick with MVC/Controller. If you want to provide a data driven/REST-ful interface to a system, go with WebAPI. You can combine both, of course, having an ApiController cater AJAX calls from an MVC page.
To give a real world example: I'm currently working with an ERP system that provides a REST-ful API to its entities. For this API, WebAPI would be a good candidate. At the same time, the ERP system provides a highly AJAX-ified web application that you can use to create queries for the REST-ful API. The web application itself could be implemented as an MVC application, making use of the WebAPI to fetch meta-data etc.

WCF Rest

  1. To use WCF as WCF Rest service you have to enable webHttpBindings.
  2. It support HTTP GET and POST verbs by [WebGet] and [WebInvoke] attributes respectively.
  3. To enable other HTTP verbs you have to do some configuration in IIS to accept request of that particular verb on .svc files
  4. Passing data through parameters using a WebGet needs configuration. The UriTemplate must be specified
  5. It support XML, JSON and ATOM data format.

Web API

  1. This is the new framework for building HTTP services with easy and simple way.
  2. Web API is open source an ideal platform for building REST-ful services over the .NET Framework.
  3. Unlike WCF Rest service, it use the full featues of HTTP (like URIs, request/response headers, caching, versioning, various content formats)
  4. It also supports the MVC features such as routing, controllers, action results, filter, model binders, IOC container or dependency injection, unit testing that makes it more simple and robust.
  5. It can be hosted with in the application or on IIS.
  6. It is light weight architecture and good for devices which have limited bandwidth like smart phones.
  7. Responses are formatted by Web API’s MediaTypeFormatter into JSON, XML or whatever format you want to add as a MediaTypeFormatter.

To whom choose between WCF or WEB API

  1. Choose WCF when you want to create a service that should support special scenarios such as one way messaging, message queues, duplex communication etc.
  2. Choose WCF when you want to create a service that can use fast transport channels when available, such as TCP, Named Pipes, or maybe even UDP (in WCF 4.5), and you also want to support HTTP when all other transport channels are unavailable.
  3. Choose Web API when you want to create a resource-oriented services over HTTP that can use the full features of HTTP (like URIs, request/response headers, caching, versioning, various content formats).
  4. Choose Web API when you want to expose your service to a broad range of clients including browsers, mobiles, iphone and tablets.

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