Reconnecting WebSocket review
A focused JavaScript/TypeScript library for reconnects, timeouts, retries, and buffering.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Reconnecting WebSocket is an open-source JavaScript/TypeScript client library for applications that need to recover when WebSocket connections close or fail. It wraps the WebSocket API with a compatible interface, including Level 0 and Level 2 event models, so it suits developers who want reconnection behavior without changing the basic client model. Its purpose is narrow: it addresses client connection resilience rather than providing a hosted WebSocket service or a broader pub/sub system.
The library’s core controls are configurable reconnection delay growth, connection timeouts, maximum retries, and message buffering until the connection opens. It also accepts dynamic URL providers as strings or synchronous or asynchronous functions, and supports a custom WebSocket constructor for runtimes without a global implementation. Documentation covers web browsers, ServiceWorkers, Node.js, and React Native. This gives teams a way to adapt the same client approach across those environments, while the product remains specific to the WebSocket protocol. Debug output is available when diagnosing client behavior.
As an MIT-licensed distributable library, it has a free, open-source model rather than connection-based plans or hosted infrastructure. The available support channels are documentation and community, so teams should be comfortable integrating and maintaining a library rather than relying on a vendor-operated service. Choose it when the main need is configurable reconnect handling and message buffering in a JavaScript/TypeScript client. Consider another option if you need a managed WebSocket endpoint, pub/sub capabilities, or broader tooling beyond the reconnect-focused client layer.
Reconnecting WebSocket pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Configurable reconnect delays, connection timeouts, and retry limits
- Buffers messages until the connection opens
- Documents support for web, ServiceWorkers, Node.js, and React Native
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on client-side WebSocket reconnection rather than broader tooling
- Requires integration as a library, not a hosted WebSocket service
- Support is through documentation and community channels
Reconnecting WebSocket fact sheet, pricing and score →
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