1. All Web services are APIs but all APIs are not Web services.

2. Web services might not perform all the operations that an API

would perform.

3. A Web service uses only three styles of use: SOAP, REST and

XML-RPC for communication whereas API may use any style for

communication.

4. A Web service always needs a network for its operation whereas

an API doesn’t need a network for its operation.

5. An API facilitates interfacing directly with an application whereas

a Web service is a required a path.

--All Web services are APIs but not all

APIs are Web services.

--Web services might not contain all

the specifications and cannot perform

all the tasks that APIs would perform.

--A Web service uses only three styles 

of use: SOAP, REST and XML-RPC for

communication whereas API may be exposed 

to in multiple ways.

--A Web service always needs a network

to operate while APIs don’t need

a network for operation.

​

--All Web services are APIs but not all

APIs are Web services.

--Web services might not contain all

the specifications and cannot perform

all the tasks that APIs would perform.

--A Web service uses only three styles 

of use: SOAP, REST and XML-RPC for

communication whereas API may be exposed 

to in multiple ways.

--A Web service always needs a network

to operate while APIs don’t need

a network for operation.