# Streaming and Batch Processing Are Complementary; Pull Versus Push Is the Key Distinction

DevFeed: [Streaming and Batch Processing Are Complementary; Pull Versus Push Is the Key Distinction](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/streaming-vs-batch-is-a-wrong-dichotomy-and-i-think-it-s-confusing-18872.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.morling.dev/blog/streaming-vs-batch-wrong-dichotomy/>)

Published: 2025-05-14T08:10:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Gunnar Morling](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/gunnar-morling.md>)

Topics: [Streaming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/streaming.md>), [stream-processing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/stream-processing.md>), [streaming-data-processing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/streaming-data-processing.md>), [real-time](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/real-time.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>), [data](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/data.md>)

Tags: [kafka](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kafka.md>), [latency](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/latency.md>), [low-latency](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/low-latency.md>), [performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/performance.md>), [real-time](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/real-time.md>), [stream-processing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/stream-processing.md>), [streaming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/streaming.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/systems.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that streaming systems commonly use batching to improve throughput, so streaming and batch processing are not opposites. It proposes pull versus push semantics as the more meaningful distinction and explains that push-based streaming can provide timely updates, while adding complexity around state, joins, and out-of-order data.

## Source excerpt

Often times, "Stream vs. Batch" is discussed as if it's one or the other, but to me this does not make that much sense really.