The terms "Search
Engine" and "Web Browser" are related to the
Internet. A search engine is basically a tool that is used for searching
information over the Internet, whereas a web browser is application software
that is used for loading HTML files such as web pages.
What is a Search Engine?
A Search Engine is
a tool that is used to search all other websites and information over the
internet. Search engines are mainly intended to gather information related to
different URLs (Uniform Resource Locators). A search engine contains its own
database. It provides a search box to enable the user to type the keyword or a
phrase for searching related information over the Internet. When you use a
search engine, you enter a word or phrase, called a "query," and the
search engine returns a list of web pages that are relevant to your query.
A search engine has three
main components namely crawler, index, and search algorithm. The crawler is a
software, also known as search engine bot, that locates the websites related to
the searched keyword. The index a table of URLs which is used to improve the
search process. The search algorithm is the mechanism involved behind the whole
searching process. Examples of search engines include Google, Yahoo, Baidu,
etc.
What is a Web Browser?
A web browser is
application software that is installed on the user machine. A web browser is
used to load the HTML files or WebPages. The first graphical web browser was
MOSAIC, launched in 1993.
When you use a web browser,
you can type in a web address, called a URL, and the browser will connect to
the Internet and load the website associated with that URL. A web browser makes
a request for a web service or web document to the web server. It basically
acts like an interface between the user machine and the web server.
Some popular examples of web browsers include Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera Mini, etc.
Difference between Search
Engine and Web Browser
The following table
highlights all the important differences between a search engine and a web
browser
Sr. No.
Search Engine
Web Browser
1.
A search engine helps find information in the World Wide Web.
It makes use of the search engine to retrieve and view information from
web pages.
2.
Once the information has been found, the results are displayed in one
place.
The information seen on web page is actually present on the web servers.
3.
It helps gather information from multiple URL’s and helps maintain it.
They help display the web page of a current URL that is available at the
server.
4.
It has its own database.
No database is required for a web browser.
5.
A search engine does not have cache memory.
A web browser contains cache memory to store cookies.
6.
Examples of search engines include Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckgo, and
Baidu Internet Explorer.
Examples of web browsers include Mozilla Firefox, Netscape Navigator, and
Google Chrome.
