[[webmvc-client]]
= REST Clients

This section describes options for client-side access to REST endpoints.




[[webmvc-resttemplate]]
== RestTemplate

`RestTemplate` is a synchronous client to perform HTTP requests. It is the original
Spring REST client, exposing a simple, template method API over underlying HTTP client
libraries.

[NOTE]
====
As of 5.0 the `RestTemplate` is in maintenance mode, with only minor requests for
changes and bugs to be accepted going forward. Please, consider using the
<<web-reactive.adoc#webflux-client, WebClient>> which offers a more modern API and
supports sync, async, and streaming scenarios.
====

See <<integration.adoc#rest-client-access,RestTemplate>> for details.




[[webmvc-webclient]]
== WebClient

`WebClient` is a non-blocking, reactive client to perform HTTP requests. It was
introduced in 5.0 and offers a modern alternative to the `RestTemplate` with efficient
support for both synchronous and asynchronous, as well as streaming scenarios.

See <<web-reactive.adoc#webflux-client,WebClient>> for more details.