Algorithms for rate limiting

The task of a rate limiter is directed by highly efficient algorithms, each of which has distinct advantages and disadvantages. However, there is always a choice to choose an algorithm or combination of algorithms depending on what we need at a given time. While different algorithms are used in addition to those below, we’ll take a look at the following popular algorithms.

  • Token bucket
  • Leaking bucket
  • Fixed window counter
  • Sliding window log
  • Sliding window counter