Cookies:

Cookies are small pieces of data stored in the user's browser by websites. They are used to remember stateful information or to track the user's browsing activity.

When a user visits a website, the server sends a set of cookies to the browser. The browser stores this information and sends it back to the server with every subsequent request to the same domain.

Cookies can be used for various purposes, such as maintaining user sessions, personalizing the user experience, tracking user behavior, and implementing functionalities like shopping carts or remembering user preferences.

Sessions:

Sessions are a way to store information about a user across multiple pages or requests on a website. They are based on the concept of a unique session identifier (usually stored in a cookie) that allows the server to associate data with a specific user session.

When a user visits a website, the server creates a unique session identifier and stores session data (e.g., user authentication, preferences, or other relevant information) on the server side.

Sessions are typically used for managing user authentication, maintaining user-specific data, and preserving user state throughout the browsing session.