Difference between WCF and Web API

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF):

WCF is used to create a distributed and interoperable Applications. It provides a framework which is used for building service-oriented-connected applications for the transmission of the data as an asynchronous, from one service-point to other service-point. Previously known as Indigo and is a framework for building, configuring, and deploying network-distributed services.

Web Application Programming Interface (Web API):

To create web applications ASP.NET provide the 3 development styles which are ASP.NET Web Pages, ASP.NET MVC, Web Forms.It is like a webservice or WCF service but the exception is that it only supports HTTP protocol.

Difference between WCF and Web API:

WCF	WEB API
WCF ships with .NET framework to create secure, reliable, and high profile development solutions.	While, WEB API is a open source and also ships with .NET framework.
WCF offers supports for limited RESTFUL service.	WEB API is ideal for building RESTFUL services.
WCF used the web.config and attributes to configure a HttpConfiguration class	Web API can be configured using web.config service.
It depend on the attributes based programming model.	WEB API maps http verbs to methods
WCF does not provide any support for MVC features like controllers, routing, filter, auction results, etc.	ASP.NET Web API supports MVC features like routing, controllers, results, filter, action, etc.
It is not open source software.	It is shipped with.Net framework.It is also available as an independent download.
It rely on IIS hosting, Self-hosting & works activation services.	It rely on Self-hosting & IIS hosting.