REST vs gRPC: Internal Architecture of Infatica API and Its Impact on Latency

by Infatica SDK Experts Infatica SDK

Internal Architecture of Infatica API and its Impact on Latency

Modern SDK architectures are increasingly shaped by the tradeoff between developer accessibility and runtime efficiency. At Infatica, this balance is achieved through the adoption of a dual-mode API layer, where REST remains available for compatibility, while gRPC is the default for low-latency performance across mobile, desktop, and embedded environments. This shift is not driven by trend alignment but by hard latency benchmarks—particularly relevant in the context of real-world 5G deployments.In our internal evaluations using representative 5G environments across North America, Western Europe, and Southeast Asia, RESTful implementations consistently yielded p90 latency between 35 and 60 milliseconds. These figures reflect both HTTP/1.1 connection setup overhead and JSON parsing costs at the client level. In contrast, gRPC over HTTP/2 demonstrated median latency under 5 milliseconds and p90 under 10 milliseconds, with lower jitter and better behavior under concurrent request loads.While REST remains useful for asynchronous workflows, mobile apps and edge devices such as OpenWRT routers increasingly rely on gRPC’s binary serialization and persistent multiplexed connections. From an engineering perspective, this allows us to treat SDK communication as a near-realtime streaming pipe rather than a transaction-oriented interface.

How Infatica SDK Addresses the Problem

The transition to gRPC is part of a larger architectural revision of the Infatica SDK, which now includes runtime routing logic based on regional latency measurements and dynamic fallback. This is especially important in passive SDK integrations where user experience must remain unaffected by background proxy traffic. The current SDK supports both blocking and non-blocking implementations, offering native bindings for Android, macOS, and Windows, along with a lightweight browser extension model. Each mode is instrumented to report throughput and latency at the sub‑ID level, enabling granular LTV modeling per cohort.

One of the design imperatives behind the SDK is invisibility. Proxy tasks are executed in low-priority threads with enforced CPU and memory caps, and under constrained mobile conditions, gRPC communication is throttled or delayed to preserve battery. As a result, observed CPU usage rarely exceeds 2% on Android under typical network loads. Battery drain is negligible, even during prolonged streaming sessions—less than 1% per hour in controlled measurements. These outcomes are validated across both ARM and x86 environments.

Compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and upcoming DMA revisions is enforced through the SDK’s zero PII model: routing occurs based on device-level characteristics without accessing app content or behavior. No identifiable data is logged or transmitted through Infatica nodes. All SDK instances operate on anonymized tokens, with opt-out mechanisms in place. This architecture enables seamless deployment in regions with strict data localization requirements.

Measured Performance in 5G Contexts

To quantify latency behavior, controlled tests were executed over 5G SA and NSA networks in Munich, Seoul, and San Diego. Requests were initiated from Android devices with Infatica gRPC and REST clients targeting identical endpoints. The REST implementation—leveraging conventional HTTP1.
1 over TLS—showed wide variance in p90 readings, with high tail latencies due to re‑negotiation and header parsing. gRPC, on the other hand, consistently maintained p90 under 10ms, with median values of 3ms across most environments.

This performance delta becomes mission-critical in SDK scenarios where requests occur frequently and are backgrounded by other app activity. Lower latency directly translates into improved network throughput, higher peer availability rates, and reduced risk of detection by network behavior analysis tools. From a revenue perspective, this stability allows the SDK to extract higher yield per session, especially in mobile contexts with variable signal quality.

SDK-Lite for IoT: Deploying Infatica on OpenWRT

As part of its infrastructure extension, Infatica has introduced a streamlined SDK‑Lite designed for embedded deployments, including OpenWRT-based routers and smart gateway devices. This SDK is written in C with minimal dependency chains, compiling to less than 250 KB in stripped builds. Integration into OpenWRT is achieved via cross-compiled Makefile environments, with support for popular SoCs such as MediaTek MT7621, Qualcomm QCA9531, and Atheros AR9XXX families.

These devices typically operate in constrained environments—low RAM, non‑volatile storage, limited CPU. For this reason, the SDK‑Lite includes a static routing table, optional local caching, and latency-aware scheduling to avoid congesting uplinks. Monetization occurs passively, as each device contributes to Infatica’s residential proxy pool without requiring user interaction. Early pilots with a 5000-device fleet have shown an average per-device revenue of approximately €0.27/month, with CPU utilization remaining under 5% even under moderate traffic conditions.

Monetization in Real‑World Apps: A Puzzle Game Example

To evaluate SDK impact in consumer apps, Infatica partnered with a mid-tier puzzle game publisher on Android. The integration occurred over a 14-day sprint, with the SDK added to both the mobile and Windows desktop versions (via Electron). No ads were removed; SDK revenue was purely additive. Using AppsFlyer, the team tracked ARPDAU, LTV, and eCPM over a 60-day window. The results showed an increase in ARPDAU from €0.021 to €0.044, with average LTV climbing 13% and eCPM gains of 18%. These figures excluded promotional periods and reflected a stable cohort baseline.

The key contributor to this uplift was the SDK’s ability to monetize all users equally—regardless of spending or ad engagement. The publisher employed sub‑ID tagging in their build system, allowing revenue breakdown by geography, traffic source, and acquisition channel. This visibility, in turn, enabled more precise campaign optimizations and budget allocation.

Sub-ID Attribution and Licensing Model

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Sub‑ID tracking is natively supported in the SDK and allows publishers to correlate specific user sources (e.g., ad sets, platforms) with revenue outcomes. Each install includes metadata that persists across app sessions and is reported during SDK handshake events. This model has proven particularly effective in subscription apps and hybrid freemium games, where LTV modeling is complex.

Infatica offers two licensing configurations. In the default revenue-share model, developers receive a percentage of the proxy revenue generated. Alternatively, a flat-rate licensing structure is available for enterprise partners who prefer predictable monthly costs. Revenue from SDK is tracked separately from ad networks or IAP analytics, ensuring clean separation in publisher dashboards. In some cases, SDK-only revenue has matched or exceeded display ad income on under-monetized geographies.

Compliance with Google Play 2025 Monetization Rules

The regulatory landscape has shifted markedly following Google’s 2025 rollout of the Ads Transparency initiative and expanded Digital Markets Act enforcement.
SDK monetization is now subject to stricter scrutiny, particularly in how background data usage is declared and user privacy is handled. To remain compliant, any monetization component must disclose its behavior in the app’s privacy policy, allow for opt‑out, and avoid any user-facing manipulation.

Infatica SDK complies fully. No ad units are displayed. Network activity is confined to encrypted transport. All operations are documented in standard format disclosures and updated in the Play Console per new policy. Independent audits confirm no PII leakage and full conformance with Section 3.2.1 of Google’s revised policy for SDK distribution.

Comparative Analysis: Infatica vs Honeygain vs Proxyrack

A comparative technical and commercial analysis reveals that Infatica’s peer-to-business model delivers the quietest monetization channel with minimal interference. Honeygain relies on user-facing payout mechanics and requires active consent, often reducing install base retention. Proxyrack’s SDK lacks dynamic transport-layer optimization and only supports REST calls, limiting performance on mobile networks.

In terms of latency, Infatica remains the only provider offering gRPC-based streaming optimized for mobile and 5G. Measured latency, lower CPU load, and zero-content intrusion make it uniquely suited for integration into both consumer apps and firmware-based IoT systems.

Analytics-Driven Monetization: From Testing to Scaling

The full SDK lifecycle includes multiple stages. After identifying target segments (e.g., low LTV users, non-paying cohorts, smart devices), integration follows a brief technical audit. Most deployments complete within 5–7 days. Performance testing focuses on CPU impact, memory footprint, and error logging under poor network conditions. Once validated, analytics modules report real-time revenue via dashboards integrated with AppsFlyer or Adjust.

Growth of ARPDAU depends on install base quality and geographic mix. Scaling involves both UA optimization and OEM bundling, especially in OpenWRT and desktop sectors. The SDK’s passive nature ensures minimal support overhead, making it a sustainable monetization layer in large distributed environments.

Further Reading

Developers interested in the broader context can review our earlier articles such as Monetization Model for Apps – 2025 and APK Monetization & Android Monetization 2025 to see how SDK-based approaches fit within the current app economy.

Learn More

Infatica SDK is available now for Android, iOS (in review), Windows/macOS, OpenWRT, and browser extensions. To request a trial key or get integration support:
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