Difference between Web Browser and Web Server.

Computer Engineering Computer Network MCA Computers

The terms web browser and web server are very common in the field of computer science and Internet, however people often get confused between the two. The most basic difference between a web browser and a web server is that a web browser is an application software which is used to browse and display webpages available over the Internet, whereas a web server is a software hosted on a dedicated computer which provides these documents when requested by web browsers.

Read through this article to know more about web browsers and web servers and how they are different from each other.

What is a Web Browser?

A web browser is an application software that can process and display a web page on the internet. The web browser is capable to make a request for web services and documents to web server. It acts an interface between the server and the client. As web browser is a software, thus it is to be installed on the client computer and used to surf the internet for websites and web pages. Popular examples of web browsers include Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera Mini, etc.

What is a Web Server?

A web server is a dedicated computer that sends web based documents to the client’s computer when request through the web browser. A web server accepts HTTP request from the client’s browser, processes it to find the required document, and then sends a suitable response to client machine.

A web server is a basically a set of hardware and software whose primary function is to serve web-based material through the internet on demand.

Difference between Web Browser and Web Server

The following table highlights the important differences between a Web Browser and a Web Server −

Factor	Web Browser	Web Server
Purpose	Web Browser is a software which is used to browse and display pages available over internet.	Web server is a software which provides these documents when requested by web browsers.
Function	A web browser sends request to server for web based documents and services.	Web server sees and approves those requests made by web browsers and sends the document in response
Process	Web browsers send HTTP Request and receive HTTP Response	Web servers receive HTTP Request and send HTTP Response.
Processing Model	Web browser has no processing model.	Web servers follow three major processing models: process based, thread based or hybrid.
Data Storage	Web browsers stores user data in cookies in local machine.	Web servers provide an area to store the website.
Installation	Web Browser is installed on user's machine.	Web servers can be installed anywhere but it need to be on a network or on local computer.
Acts as	Web browser acts as an interface between the web server and client.	Web servers act as the sender of web resources like web pages.
Responsibility	Web browser is responsible to request for a website or webpage located on the internet.	Web server is responsible for hosting websites, processing web requests, and sending the demanded document to the client.
Example	Examples of web browsers include Google Chrome, Internet explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.	Apache Server is an example of a web server.

Conclusion

The most significant difference between a web browser and a web server is that a web browser is an application software developed to display a web-based material like a webpage, while a web server is a huge computer which serves the requested material through the Internet to the client computer.