No, RestTemplate will continue to exist (at least for now). You don't have to replace it with WebClient.
One of the main differences is RestTemplate is synchronous and blocking i.e. when you do a rest call you need to wait till the response comes back to proceed further.

But WebClient is complete opposite of this. The caller need not wait till response comes back. Instead he will be notified when there is a response.

If you need such a functionality, then yes you need to replace your Resttemplate with WebClient.
You can in fact achieve Rest template like synchronous processing in webclient using .block(). But the other way is not possible.

EDIT:

RestTemplate is marked as feature complete in future version(> 5.0) and will not have new features added going forward

Answer from pvpkiran on Stack Overflow
🌐
Medium
medium.com › @rakesh.mali › restclient-vs-webclient-vs-resttemplate-a-comprehensive-guide-6b150df476dd
RestClient vs. WebClient vs. RestTemplate: A Comprehensive Guide | by Rakesh Mali | Medium
March 7, 2025 - Avoid RestTemplate unless working on a legacy project, as it is deprecated. For new projects, it is best to use RestClient for synchronous calls and WebClient for reactive needs.
Discussions

spring - WebClient vs RestTemplate - Stack Overflow
Spring Framework 6.1 M2 introduces the RestClient, a new synchronous HTTP client. As the name suggests, RestClient offers the fluent API of WebClient with the infrastructure of RestTemplate. More on stackoverflow.com
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A comparison between RestClient, WebClient, and RestTemplate libraries for calling REST APIs in Spring Boot applications including recommendations on which one is the right choice for different s
On the section 'Final comparison and advice' OTEL support is yellow for WebClient and RestClient. Why is that? What features are missing from those 2 that are present in RestTemplate(green) Thanks for a great blog post! More on reddit.com
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January 8, 2024
RestClient vs. WebClient vs RestTemplate - Using the suitable library to call REST API in Spring ‌Boot
Databrokers? nope. Social networks? Also nope. This post was deleted using Redact . fade aware public salt sip resolute truck childlike theory absorbed More on reddit.com
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February 7, 2025
When to use Open Feign and when not?
RestTemplate is not deprecated, it's feature complete meaning it will not longer have more features. It's fine to use it with spring boot 3 More on reddit.com
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April 28, 2024
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Spring
spring.io › blog › 2025 › 09 › 30 › the-state-of-http-clients-in-spring
The state of HTTP clients in Spring
September 30, 2025 - By now, there is a significant gap between RestTemplate and RestClient that we cannot close due to limitations of template-style API. Keeping the RestTemplate around puts part of our community at a disadvantage.
🌐
Medium
medium.com › @sunda.nitsri › rest-client-vs-webclient-vs-resttemplate-choosing-the-right-http-client-in-spring-boot-4937c67858b4
REST Client vs WebClient vs RestTemplate: Choosing the Right HTTP Client in Spring Boot | by Pankaj Sunda | Medium
March 28, 2025 - RestClient offers an intuitive API and supports both blocking and non-blocking calls. WebClient is the go-to for reactive applications. RestTemplate should be avoided for new projects.
🌐
DZone
dzone.com › coding › frameworks › spring boot 3.2: replace your resttemplate with restclient
Spring Boot 3.2: Replace Your RestTemplate With RestClient
February 19, 2024 - As seen in these examples, RestClient offers a more streamlined approach to making HTTP requests compared to RestTemplate.
🌐
Harmelodic
harmelodic.com › blog › restclient-vs-webclient-vs-resttemplate-configuring
RestClient vs. WebClient vs. RestTemplate (Configuring) - Harmelodic
Mono<Thing> fetchThingWithWebClient(String thingId) { return webClient.get() .uri(uriBuilder -> uriBuilder .path("/thing/{id}") .build(thingId)) .retrieve() .bodyToMono(Thing.class); } Thing fetchThingWithRestTemplate(String thingId) { // getForObject() is a handy shorthand method for very simple HTTP calls // exchange().is more widely used for it's better flexibility return restTemplate.getForObject( UriComponentsBuilder.fromUri(URI.create(restTemplateBase)) .path("/thing/{id}") .build(thingId) .toString(), Thing.class ); } record Thing(String id, String name) { } } If you're writing something quick & dirty and not handling error response codes, but wanting to do simple things like: Deal with a list of objects rather than a single object · Add a query parameter to your call. then you'll find RestClient & WebClient easy to modify, but RestTemplate requires a change in method.
Find elsewhere
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Dimitri's tutorials
dimitri.codes › resttemplate-or-webclient
Battle of the Spring REST clients: RestTemplate, WebClient or RestClient? | Dimitri's tutorials
October 26, 2023 - In addition, RestClient relies on blocking, synchronous traffic in stead of reactive, asynchronous traffic like WebClient. The benefit of that is that synchronous flows are usually easier to understand, but the drawback is that you may encounter performance issues. There are a few mentions on the internet that RestTemplate is deprecated and that it shouldn’t be used.
🌐
Baeldung
baeldung.com › home › http client-side › spring webclient vs. resttemplate
Spring WebClient vs. RestTemplate | Baeldung
May 11, 2024 - While RestTemplate uses the caller thread for each event (HTTP call), WebClient will create something like a “task” for each event.
🌐
Spring
spring.io › blog › 2023 › 07 › 13 › new-in-spring-6-1-restclient
New in Spring 6.1: RestClient
July 13, 2023 - RestClient can also convert JSON to objects, using Jackson under the hood. In fact, it can convert all types that RestTemplate supports, as it uses the same message converters.
🌐
Medium
codefarm0.medium.com › restclient-vs-resttemplate-vs-webclient-vs-feignclient-in-spring-boot-6e3704bbaba0
Restclient vs Resttemplate vs Webclient vs Feignclient in Spring Boot | by Arvind Kumar | Medium
April 12, 2025 - Restclient vs Resttemplate vs Webclient vs Feignclient in Spring Boot Each of these libraries is used for making HTTP requests in Spring Boot applications, but they differ in terms of functionality …
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
RestClient vs WebClient vs RestTemplate
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Medium
medium.com › @SubbuDaduluri › spring-boot-which-one-is-better-resttemplate-or-webclient-restclient-with-retry-mechanism-and-52028942bfb1
Spring Boot | Which one is better, RestTemplate or WebClient, RestClient with Retry mechanism and…
October 25, 2024 - Modern Synchronous Approach: RestClient can serve as a modern synchronous alternative to RestTemplate, particularly when enhanced error handling is needed without the complexity of asynchronous programming.
🌐
Java Code Geeks
javacodegeeks.com › home › enterprise java
Spring HTTP Clients: RestClient, WebClient, RestTemplate - Java Code Geeks
August 15, 2024 - WebClient is the recommended choice ... with the reactive ecosystem. RestClient provides a middle ground between the two, offering some asynchronous capabilities while maintaining a more familiar API....
🌐
Medium
medium.com › @ahmed.abdelfaheem › navigating-spring-boot-http-clients-from-resttemplate-to-webclient-and-restclient-5838899d7e84
Navigating Spring Boot HTTP Clients: From “RestTemplate” to “WebClient” and “RestClient” | by Ahmed Safwat | Medium
August 23, 2024 - RestClient offers the simplicity and synchronous nature of RestTemplate, combined with a fluent API and advanced configuration options, making it a compelling choice for those who prefer or require blocking operations.
🌐
Baeldung
baeldung.com › home › spring › spring boot › a guide to restclient in spring boot
A Guide to RestClient in Spring Boot | Baeldung
May 26, 2026 - RestClient is a synchronous HTTP client introduced in Spring Framework 6.1 that supersedes RestTemplate.
🌐
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › advance java › spring-webclient-vs-resttemplate
Spring - WebClient vs RestTemplate - GeeksforGeeks
July 9, 2026 - RestTemplate is a synchronous HTTP client widely used in traditional Spring applications and legacy systems.