What is the Difference Between Cookies and Sessions?

Cookies and sessions are both used to store user information on websites, but they have different storage locations and characteristics. The key differences between cookies and sessions are:

1. Storage Location: Cookies are saved on the client-side (user's computer), while sessions are saved on the server-side.
2. Data Storage Capacity: Cookies have a limited storage capacity, typically around 4 KB, while sessions can store an indefinite amount of data, subject to the server's memory limitations.
3. Expiry: Cookies expire after a specified lifetime or duration, while sessions end when the user closes the browser or logs out of the program.
4. Data Security: Sessions are generally more secure than cookies because they are stored in binary or encrypted form on the server, while cookies are stored in text format on the client-side.
5. Usage: Cookies are used to store user information on the user's computer, allowing websites to remember user preferences and track user activity. Sessions are used to store user information on the server, allowing websites to remember users within a website when they move between web pages.
6. Session Dependency: Sessions are server-side files that contain user information and are dependent on cookies, but cookies are not dependent on sessions.

In summary, cookies are client-side files used to store user information, while sessions are server-side files used to store user information. Cookies have limited storage capacity and expire after a specified time, while sessions end when the user closes the browser or logs out. Sessions are generally more secure than cookies, and cookies are not dependent on sessions.

Comparative Table: Cookies vs Sessions

Here is a table comparing the differences between cookies and sessions:

In summary, cookies and sessions are both methods for storing data on a server or web pages, but the way the data is accessed is different. Cookies store data on the client's side, while sessions store data on both the client and server sides.