Difference between Website and Portal

You use websites and portals every day. Both look alike but it isn't easy to differentiate between them. In this article, we will comprehend the distinction between a website and a web portal but before that, let us know the meaning of website and portal.

What is meant by website?

A website is a compilation of documents or files which can access through the internet. Websites are made up of many web pages that are connected to each other. The Websites provide the only information that you can access online. People use a program known as a browser to view a website.

The most renowned browsers are Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari. The job of the browser is to make the code look like documents or files that the user can view and use.

Servers are the computers where the websites are hosted or stored. You put the website's name in the browser's search bar to access its information. The request is sent to the web server by the browser, where the server stores the website. The server responds and sends the information to the browser to display.

All websites have an IP address that looks something like this: 121.254.316.457.

It is not easy to remember the IP address because the IP addresses are replaced with domain names such as google.com, facebook.com, etc.

Types of Websites:

• Static Websites: These are websites built using HTML and CSS. These websites have fewer pages. Mostly they are single-page websites. The content of these websites cannot be changed frequently. These websites only give information to the user. These websites do not require any database to store any data. Static websites load faster than dynamic websites.
• Dynamic websites: These websites are built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These websites may be updated regularly according to the requirement of the user. The content varies depending on the factors such as audience, location, demographics, time of day, etc. Users who visit a dynamic website will see the information according to their activities and interests.
• Interactive websites: These websites provide user interaction. There is more engagement and interaction with the website. The user can communicate and asks questions. These websites may also have online calculators, transactions, and more.

What is meant by portal?

A web portal is a particularly composed website. It is different from a regular website. It provides information to the specific user. Web portals provide services like e-mail, news, shopping capabilities, stock prices, entertainment, and more.

If you want to access the information, you have to register first on the website and be allowed to read the data. If you work in an organization, they will provide a ID to access the website. Different portals are created for various purposes, like a job portal that provides information related to a job and a news portal that provides news.

There are two types of web portals:

• Vertical Portal: A website built on a specific topic such as news, education, insurance, health care, automobile, shopping, etc. It provides access to limited users. It helps users to find what they need. The vertical portal is also called the vortal.

• Horizontal portal: A website which is not built on a specific topic but available for a vast number of users. It provides information on various topics that may be useful for different users. It covers the maximum number of possible spectrums.

Difference between website and portal

Website	Portal
A website is a collection of documents that are placed in a position on the internet and can be accessed via a URL or web address.	A web portal is based on a knowledge management system that facilitates companies or organizations to create, exchange, share and reuse knowledge.
A website is visible worldwide to the public.	A web portal is restricted to a specific user.
People can access or visit the website using a URL or web address.	Only those users can access the web portal who are member and who has authority.
There is no need for an ID and password to access the website’s data.	User Id and password are needed to create an account and have the authorization to access the information of the web portal.
The content present on the website is the same for everybody, providing the same experience to all users.	The content available here is expressly based on the user's role or interest.
It is not always knowledgeable content.	It is a specific knowledge domain.
A single administrator manages the website.	Multiple admin teams manage different categories.
The information on the web portal is rarely updated.	The information present on the web portal is updated regularly.
The users do not interact on a website because they have a limited number of interactive features.	The user can interact and do one-to-one communication on web portals with the help of features like contact form, custom feed, live chat, etc.
Websites are for driving traffics.	A web portal limits traffic to a specific group of users.
It is public.	It can be both public and private.
The data on a website is not secure or protected.	The data on the web portal is secure or protected.
Examples: Personal website, blogging website, social website, etc.	Examples: Personal web portal, Government web portal, corporate web portal, News portal, etc.