What is the difference between Web Service and WCF?

WCF can be hosted in IIS, windows activation service, self-hosting, and window service while web service can be hosted in IIS. Web service can be accessed through HTTP, TCP, and custom while WCF can be accessed through Http, TCP, named pipes, Msmq, P2P, and custom. Web service operation is one way, request-response are different operations supported in web services while WCF can be operated in one way, request-response, duplex.

Web service uses XMLSerializer which does not specify the field or properties of the type are serialized into XML while WCF uses data contratserializer, it shows the properties that are serialized into XML. The web service performs better than WCF. WCF supports multi-threading while Web services don’t. WCF is fast, reliable, and robust for building real-time applications which makes it better than web service.

Web service is used to send SOAP or Simple Object Access Protocol messages to users. However, a user needs to know how to send and receive SOAP messages. The technologies used by SOAP are supported by XML and HTTP.

The processes of web service have been simplified to the extent that users do not need to know anything about languages(HTTP and XML) being used. To have a better understanding of what web service is, just think of it as a programmed application that can be easily accessed using web protocols. WCF or Windows Communication Foundation, on the other hand, is used majorly for service oriented applications.

WCF is a more advanced technology compared to Web service. Mostly, WCF is used to send messages from one service endpoint to another. Unlike WCF that uses DataContractSerializer, Web service uses XmlSerializer. The DataContractSerializer used by WCF is the reason it has more communication spectrum compared to Web service.

Web service and WCF are related to Microsoft's web technologies. WCF is an abbreviation that stands for Windows Communication Foundation. The purpose of this foundation is that it generates applications that are oriented in service.

There are many functions of WCF, which include sending information from one service to another. Comparing WCF to web service, WCF is the replacement that is superior. To be able to use web service, a person must know how to receive and how to send SOAP messages, which is the Simple Object Access Protocol. Though WCF is more flexible, web service is easier to use because it is more straight forward.

The main difference between web service and WCF service is that WCF is a superior replacement for the technologies of web service from Microsoft. With the web service, the user needs to know how to receive and send SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) messages. SOAP uses XML and HTTP for data description and data transport. It is a relatively straight forward approach, as all you need to know for web service is how to navigate SOAP.

WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) It is used for generating service-oriented applications. It assists in sending information from one service endpoint to another service endpoint as messages. The messages sent can be single words, characters, or sophisticated binary information. There is also higher convenience and flexibility in using WCF.