The main difference between browser and search engine is that a browser is a software application that helps to access and display websites in WWW while search engine is a software application helps to search for websites in WWW.
There is a distinct difference between browser and search engine although some people use these two words interchangeably. A search engine stores the searchable data about websites whereas the user should install a web browser in his device to view the websites. For example, google.com is a search engine while Firefox is a web browser.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is a Browser
– Definition, Functionality
2. What is a Search Engine
– Definition, Functionality
3. What is the Difference Between Browser and Search Engine
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Browser, Search Engine, Website, World Wide Web
What is a Browser
A browser is a software that helps to access websites on WWW (World Wide Web). It identifies each web page using a unique web address called URL (Uniform Resource Locator). A browser converts websites delivered using HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) into human-readable content. They can also read protocols such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol).
Furthermore, web browsers provide multiple advantages. The user can open multiple pages simultaneously in different tabs of the same window or in different browser windows. There are back and forward buttons that allow the users to go to previously visited pages and next new pages. The address bar allows users to input an URL to view a certain web page while the refresh button helps to reload the current page. Furthermore, the user can get the support of extensions to add new operations to the browser.
What is a Search Engine
A search engine is a software that helps to search websites on WWW. The user can enter keywords or key phrases into a search engine. Then the search engine displays search results as websites, images, videos or other online data. These results are called search engine results pages or SERPs.
Some search engines are capable of mining data that is present in a database or an open directory. Search engines are real-time engines. They maintain their information by executing algorithms on a web crawler. If a particular result cannot be found using a search engine, it is called the deep web.
Difference Between Browser and Search Engine
Definition
A browser is a software application for accessing information on WWW. In contrast, a search engine is a software system that is designed to search for information on WWW. This is the main difference between browser and search engine.
Main Functionality
A browser allows accessing and displaying websites whereas a search engine allows searching and filtering websites.
Method of Running
Another difference between browser and search engine is that a browser is locally installed on the user’s device while a search engine is a software system that runs on WWW.
Examples
Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari are some examples for browsers while Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com are some examples of search engines.
Conclusion
There is a distinct difference between browser and search engine although some people use these two words interchangeably. The main difference between browser and search engine is that browser is a software application that helps to access and display websites in WWW while search engine is a software application helps to search for websites in WWW.
Reference:
1. “Web Browser.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Nov. 2018, Available here.
2. “Web Search Engine.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2018, Available here.
Leave a Reply