Real-time Features: When to Use WebSockets and Pusher

Live notifications, order tracking, and real-time dashboards all need a two-way connection. WebSockets provide it, and services like Pusher or Laravel Reverb remove the complexity of managing socket servers. But not everything needs to be real-time; sometimes simple polling is enough. The decision depends on the number of concurrent connections and latency sensitivity. Start with the simplest approach and move to real-time broadcasting only when there is a genuine, user-measurable need.