Difference between @wire, LDS, and Imperative Apex calls in LWC – and real use cases

This is one of the most frequently asked in Salesforce Developer interviews and also key in real-world Salesforce dev work. Let’s break it down in a simple but detailed way with use cases.

1. @wire (Reactive, Declarative)

• Automatically calls Apex or LDS when the component loads or when reactive parameters change.
• Reactive, cacheable, no explicit invocation.
• Read-only or auto-refresh scenarios.

Example-

import { LightningElement, wire } from 'lwc';
import getAccounts from '@salesforce/apex/AccountController.getAccounts';

export default class WiredAccounts extends LightningElement {
    @wire(getAccounts) accounts;
}

Use cases –

• Displaying record lists (e.g., Accounts, Contacts).
• Showing read-only data without user interaction.
• Auto-refresh when parameters change.
• Displaying a list of open Opportunities on a dashboard.
• Auto-refresh when filters change.

2. LDS (Lightning Data Service)

• Built-in Salesforce service to fetch, create, update, delete records without Apex.
• Declarative, no SOQL needed, automatically handles sharing, FLS, and cache.
• Working with a single record or related records.

Example-

import { LightningElement, wire } from 'lwc';
import { getRecord } from 'lightning/uiRecordApi';
import NAME_FIELD from '@salesforce/schema/Account.Name';

export default class LdsAccount extends LightningElement {
    recordId = '001XXXXXXXXXXXX'; // Example record Id

    @wire(getRecord, { recordId: '$recordId', fields: [NAME_FIELD] })
    account;
}

Use cases

• Fetching single record details (e.g., Account Name, Contact Email).
• Updating/creating records without writing Apex.
• Great for CRUD ops in UI components.
• Showing Account details in a record page.
• Inline editing Contact details with no Apex needed.

3. Imperative Apex Calls (Programmatic)

• Manually call Apex methods from JS (using Promises/async-await).
• Explicit, gives full control, works with non-cacheable methods.
• User-triggered actions, complex logic, or DML.
• Runs only when called (e.g., button click).
• Can handle DML (insert, update, delete).

Example-

import { LightningElement } from 'lwc';
import getAccounts from '@salesforce/apex/AccountController.getAccounts';

export default class ImperativeAccounts extends LightningElement {
    accounts;

    handleClick() {
        getAccounts()
            .then(result => {
                this.accounts = result;
            })
            .catch(error => {
                console.error(error);
            });
    }
}

Use cases

• Button-driven actions (e.g., “Fetch Accounts”, “Save Record”).
• Complex business logic or multiple queries.
• Updating/inserting/deleting records.
• Complex logic: fetch related Contacts, update Tasks, send Email in one click.

LWC Data Access

Choosing between @wire, LDS, and imperative Apex calls in LWC depends on the nature of your requirement:

• Use @wire when you need reactive, cacheable, read-only data that refreshes automatically.
• Use LDS for single-record CRUD operations with built-in FLS, sharing, and caching—no Apex required.
• Use imperative Apex calls when you need user-triggered actions, complex logic, or DML that goes beyond LDS capabilities.

As a best practice, always pick the simplest option that meets your need—this keeps components efficient, secure, and easy to maintain.