UDP stands for “User Datagram Protocol” and describes a transport protocol in the IT world that exists as part of the TCP/IP protocol stack.
In contrast to TCP, UDP is not connection-oriented and offers no guarantee for the reliable transmission of data. Instead, UDP is characterized by simpler, lightweight and faster data transmission. With UDP, there is no prior connection between sender and receiver. The data packets are sent without prior consent, which results in faster transmission. However, this can also lead to packets being lost or damaged. This makes it particularly suitable for applications where low latency is more important than reliable data transmission. UDP also supports multicast and broadcast transmissions, which means that a single data packet can be sent to multiple recipients simultaneously.
UDP is therefore often used in applications where real-time communication is required, such as audio and video streaming, online gaming and DNS (Domain Name System).