The main difference between HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) lies in security. HTTP is the protocol used for transferring data over the web, but it does not encrypt the data, which means it can be intercepted and read by others. On the other hand, HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, which uses TLS (SSL) encryption to protect data during transfer.
Here’s a quick comparison:
- HTTP:
- Uses port 80 by default.
- Data is not encrypted, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping.
- Faster data transfer due to no encryption overhead.
- HTTPS:
- Uses port 443 by default.
- Data is encrypted using TLS (SSL), providing security over the network.
- Slightly slower due to encryption and decryption process.