Difference between a search engine and a browser
A search engine and a web browser are two different types of tools used on the internet for various functions. A web browser is an application software used as an interface between the user and the World Wide Web by helping to retrieve and view the content. On the other hand, a search engine is a tool used to search for content on the internet. Using a search engine users can search for websites, images, video, audio, and all other types of content online.
When the user needs to use the internet they will open a web browser which will help retrieve the content and provide an interface for the user. Then they can open their preferred search engine and key in what they require. The search engine will provide the results depending on the keyword and the internet browser will render and display the result.
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What is a search engine?
A search engine is a tool or software that helps the user to find content on the internet. It claws over the internet content and keeps a database of data depending on a specific keyword. The data is indexed and arranged according to a specific algorithm.
When a user search for a specific keyword the engine checks on its database of indexed content and retrieve the most relevant information as per the keyword. The content is then ranked and presented to the user with the most relevant being the first on the list.
The different companies that offer search engine services use different algorithms to rank and index the data. This means you will find different rankings of content in different search engines for the same keyword.
Search engines can be used to search different content although most can search almost all content on the internet. Content that can be searched are websites, images, videos, audio, text, news, and trends among other contents.
What is a web browser?
It is also known as an internet browser. It is an application software that is used to receive a request from a user for content online, fetch it from the server, render it in a user-friendly way, and display it to the user.
When an internet user decides to get content online they will use either an app or a web browser. On the web browser, they will key in the URL of the content they need to retrieve. The browser will use the URL address to look for the content online, retrieve it from the server and bring it back to the user’s device.
On the device, the browser will convert the content into user-readable information and display it. This will be repeated every time the user makes a request. Unlike the search engine, a browser doesn’t have a database of content. It can only temporarily store the most frequently requested content as cache and cookies to speed up data retrieval.
Search engine vs web browser
Search Engine | Web Browser |
It is an online website or tool used to search for content. | It is an application software used for rendering online pages and navigation. |
The engine has a database of indexed content from across the internet | The browser has no database but can store some content like cache and cookies. |
It is on the provider’s server computers. | It is installed on the user’s device (Mobile phone or Personal Computer) |
The search engine crawls and indexes online content that is searchable. | Internet browser interprets code and displays the content to what the user can understand. |
Users don’t need to install it on their devices but can use any search engine they like. | Users can install more than one web browser on their devices as per their preference. |
Examples of search engines: are Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo,Ask.com, | Examples of web browsers are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, Brave, Microsoft Edge |