How Does HTTP/1.1 vs HTTP/2 vs HTTP/3 | System Design Work?

HTTP is like the way you talk to your friend when you want something from them, it tells how messages are sent back and forth between a computer and a website.

In HTTP/1.1, it’s like you have to ask for one thing at a time, and your friend can only give you one answer at a time. If you want a snack and a toy, you need to make two separate requests, and wait for each one individually.

With HTTP/2, it's like you can ask for multiple things in one go, and your friend can reply with several answers at once, making the whole process faster, just like talking while eating a sandwich.

Then there’s HTTP/3, which is like getting a super-fast delivery robot that doesn’t get stuck in traffic. It uses something called QUIC underneath, so even if some messages get lost or delayed, it doesn’t stop everything, it just keeps going smoothly like your favorite game when you don’t have to wait for the next level.

So, HTTP/1.1 is slow and single-tasking, HTTP/2 is faster and multitasking, and HTTP/3 is super-fast with smart delivery.