Refit vs HttpClient in C# - which approach is better for consuming REST APIs in .NET?

In this video, I'll show you both ways to integrate with the external API - first using the standard Typed HttpClient pattern with IHttpClientFactory, then rebuilding it cleanly with Refit. You'll see exactly where Refit saves you code, and when plain HttpClient still makes sense.

Perfect for mid-to-senior .NET developers who want cleaner, more maintainable API integrations.

What you'll learn:
– How to set up a Typed HttpClient with IHttpClientFactory
– How to integrate the same API using Refit
– Key differences: boilerplate and maintainability
– When to choose Refit over raw HttpClient in real projects

Refit docs:
https://github.com/reactiveui/refit

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We Are .NET

A walkthrough of using the Refit library in .NET to simplify external API integration. Starts by building a traditional HTTP client service with a delegating handler for the OpenWeatherMap API, then replaces the boilerplate with Refit, which auto-generates the service implementation at compile time from a C# interface decorated with attributes. Covers NuGet setup, interface declaration with Refit attributes, options pattern for configuration, and delegating handlers for shared query parameters.

Refit - The Better Way to Consume APIs in .NET