What is the difference between cookies and session?

JoeHamilton · May 13, 2018

Can you explain for me what is the difference between cookies and session? since I have used a script that it tell the visitors to accept cookies on the browser then I want to disable this function but I am not sure if it conflict with session or not.

VirtuBox · May 13, 2018

Hello,

sessions are similar to cookies, but the main difference is sessions are closed and removed from your web browser when you close it or visit another website. Sessions are only used to identify a visitor during a single visit.

When Cookies lifetime can be longer and Cookies are used to store data (for example what products you have added in your shopping cart) for a fixed time. Some cookies are removed when you close your web browser, and some other will be stored for a year.

But if you use analytics service like Google Analytics or other way to track your visitors with cookies, you have to keep the banner about accepting cookies on your website. There are only few tracking services which can track visitors without having to warn them about cookies usage. The only one I know if Matomo (Piwik)

mobin · May 14, 2018

It will not conflict with your sessions normally. Session is normally generated and maintained by the server which is client relies on for a smooth communication. The same set of session data is used for the same communication and this is important to secure as hijacking the session can easily give access to the attacker once the session is authorized.
Cookies are small pieces of information stored on your browser, which the application will use to store user preferences and information [ like language preference, urls, etc ]. So this is more to collect the personal preferences and then process by the application to run their decision-making engine to display personalized contents mostly.

dennisbation · Oct 26, 2018

I have a small summary here to help you understand the difference of the two.

Cookies- stored limit amount of data only
Sessions- stored unlimited amount of data

Cookies- it last longer
Sessions- it will expired when the browser is closed

Cookies- stored in user's browser
Sessions- stored in the server directly

kundancab · Jun 28, 2021

The main difference between a session and a cookie is that the session data is stored on the server, while the cookie stores the data in the visitor's browser. A session is more secure than a cookie because it is stored on the server. Cookies can be turned off from the browser.

amsgoldy · Jun 29, 2021

The main difference between a session and a cookie is that the session data is stored on the server, while the cookie stores the data in the visitor's browser. A session is more secure than a cookie because it is stored on the server. Cookies can be turned off from the browser.

Kaushik Roy · Jul 5, 2021

A session stores the variables and their values within a file in a temporary directory on the server. Cookies are stored on the user's computer as a text file.
The session ends when the user logout from the application or closes his web browser. Cookies end on the lifetime set by the user.
It can store an unlimited amount of data. It can store only limited data.
We can store as much data as we want within a session, but there is a maximum memory limit, which a script can use at one time, and it is 128 MB. The maximum size of the browser's cookies is 4 KB.

etechsupport · Jul 6, 2021

A session differs from a cookie in that session data is kept on the server, while cookies are stored in the visitor's browser. Because sessions are kept on the server, they are more secure than cookies.

vikasjkn · May 19, 2022

Simple difference session is stored on server side, works until you are logged in into website

Cookies are stored on user browser (client-side).

What is the difference between cookies and session?

JoeHamilton

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