What is the difference between HTTP and REST?

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a data transfer protocol in a network that defines the rules for exchanging messages between a client and a server. It describes how requests and responses are formed, which methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.) are used, and how headers and message bodies are transmitted.

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for building distributed systems that uses HTTP as the transport protocol. REST imposes a set of constraints and principles, such as:

• Using standard HTTP methods for resource operations
• Identifying resources via URI
• Statelessness on the server
• Using resource representations (e.g., JSON, XML)

Thus, HTTP is a protocol, and REST is a way of organizing interactions over HTTP. RESTful services use HTTP, but not every HTTP service is RESTful.