Difference between program and software

In this article, we are going to discuss the difference between program and software. This article is not limited only to the comparison between both terms; along with comparison, we will also discuss both program and software separately.

So, without any delay, let's start our topic.

Let's first see a brief description of the program and software.

Program

A computer program is a set of instructions that is used as a process of creating a software program by using programming language. It is simply the collection of instructions for a computer to perform a specific function and achieve a particular result.

A program does not have any user interface. It is developed and used by a single programmer or group of programmers. A program includes fewer features and limited functionalities. The functionality of a program is dependent on the compiler. The size of the program is small that exists between kilobytes (Kb) to Megabytes (Mb).

Software

Software is a set of programs that enables the hardware to perform a specific task. All the programs that run the computer are software. The software can be of three types: system software, application software, and programming software.

It is a collection of procedures, instructions, documentation that tells a computer exactly what to do or allows users to interact with a computer. Unlike hardware, the software can be seen but cannot be touched as it is virtual, not physical. It can be affected by viruses. The size of software is large as compared to programs. It has more features and functionalities. Unlike the programs, software requires more time to be developed. Its features include safety, security, correctness, etc. Software is compiled, tested, and debugged in the development phase. Every software has a user interface that may be in graphical format or in the form of a command prompt.

Programs v/s Software

Software is a broad term that covers the programs and components that it required to run. Software consists the files, whereas a program can itself be a file. Along with these differences, there are various other comparisons between both terms.

Now let's see the comparison chart between the program and software. Here, we are showing the comparison in the tabular format on the basis of some characteristics.

That's all about the article. Hope you find it informative, knowledgeable and gain sufficient information about the program, software, and the comparison between them.