When building applications in .NET that call REST APIs, the two most common tools are HttpClient and RestSharp. Both can send HTTP requests, but they differ in design, features, flexibility, and ease of use.
1. Introduction
HttpClient is a built-in .NET class for sending HTTP requests.
RestSharp is a third-party library designed to simplify REST API consumption.
2. What is HttpClient?
HttpClient is part of the .NET framework and provides low-level control for HTTP communication.
Key Points
Example
var client = new HttpClient();
var response = await client.GetAsync("https://api.example.com/users");
var content = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
3. What is RestSharp?
RestSharp is a NuGet library that simplifies REST API calls with a cleaner, high-level interface.
Key Points
Example
var client = new RestClient("https://api.example.com");
var request = new RestRequest("users", Method.Get);
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
4. Feature Comparison
| Feature | HttpClient | RestSharp |
|---|
| Built-in | Yes | No (NuGet) |
| Simplicity | Moderate | Very easy |
| Serialization | Manual / System.Text.Json | Automatic |
| Request building | Manual | Fluent builder |
| Performance | High | Slight overhead |
| Control | Full | Limited compared to HttpClient |
| Best for | Enterprise, microservices | Quick integrations |
5. Serialization & Deserialization
HttpClient: You must deserialize manually.
var data = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<User>(json);
RestSharp: Auto-deserializes into models.
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync<User>(request);
6. Request Building
HttpClient requires manually setting headers, content, methods.
RestSharp uses a fluent API:
request.AddHeader("Authorization", "Bearer xyz");
request.AddJsonBody(payload);
7. Error Handling
HttpClient: You must check status codes manually.
RestSharp: Provides a structured response with error properties.
8. When to Use What?
Use HttpClient if:
You want built-in .NET solution
You need maximum control
You work on large-scale, production services
You care about performance and dependency reduction
Use RestSharp if:
You want faster development
You work with many complex REST endpoints
You prefer built-in serialization
You want cleaner API request code
Conclusion
HttpClient is powerful, built-in, and ideal for serious production systems. RestSharp is easier and faster for rapid API integration.
Your choice depends on whether you prefer maximum control (HttpClient) or maximum convenience (RestSharp).