REST-API (Representational State Transfer) is often preferred over SOAP-API (Simple Object Access Protocol) for several reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons: 

Simpler and More Flexible

Easier to use, as REST uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) making it easier to understand and implement for developers who are already familiar with the HTTP protocol.

Flexible Data Formats: REST allows the use of different data formats, such as JSON, XML, HTML, and even plain text, while SOAP mainly uses XML. JSON is often preferred because it is easier to read and write, and more compact and faster to parse in browsers.

Performance and Scalability

Lower Overhead: REST generally has less overhead compared to SOAP because it does not require extensive XML wrappers and schema-defined contracts. This makes REST more efficient and faster, which is important for web-based applications where performance is critical.

Stateless: REST is stateless, meaning that each request from client to server must contain all the information needed to understand and process the request. This simplifies scalability and allows for better handling of large amounts of traffic.

Broader Compatibility and Integration

Broader Support: Many modern web services and APIs, including major platforms like Google and Facebook, use REST. This makes it easier to integrate and communicate with other services.

CORS support: The REST API can be easily configured to support Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which is important for web applications that need to make requests to the API from different domains.

Developer-Friendly

Easier Development and Testing: Tools like Postman and curl make it easy to test and debug REST APIs. There is also a wide range of libraries and frameworks for building REST APIs in various programming languages.

Less Strict Structure

REST has a more relaxed and less strict structure than SOAP, which means that developers have more freedom to design their APIs in a way that best suits the needs of their applications.

Popularity and Usage

Usage: Due to its simplicity and flexibility, REST has become the standard for building APIs, especially in web development. The wide adoption also means that there is more documentation, support, and community resources available to developers working with REST APIs.

Summary

REST APIs are often preferred over SOAP APIs due to their simplicity, flexibility, performance, scalability, compatibility, and thus developer-friendliness. While SOAP still has its place in specific use cases, such as in enterprise environments where security and transaction management are critical, REST is the most common choice for modern websites.