Feature |
TCP |
UDP |
Connection status |
Requires an established connection to transmit data (connection should be closed once transmission is complete) |
Connectionless protocol with no requirements for opening, maintaining, or terminating a connection |
Data sequencing |
Able to sequence |
Unable to sequence |
Guaranteed delivery |
Can guarantee delivery of data to the destination router |
Cannot guarantee delivery of data to the destination |
Retransmission of data |
Retransmission of lost packets is possible |
No retransmission of lost packets |
Error checking |
Extensive error checking and acknowledgment of data |
Basic error checking mechanism using checksums |
Method of transfer |
Data is read as a byte stream; messages are transmitted to segment boundaries |
UDP packets with defined boundaries; sent individually and checked for integrity on arrival |
Speed |
Slower than UDP |
Faster than TCP |
Broadcasting |
Does not support Broadcasting |
Does support Broadcasting |
Optimal use |
Used by HTTPS, HTTP, SMTP, POP, FTP, etc |
Video conferencing, streaming, DNS, VoIP, etc |