Software: What It Is and How It Differs from a Program

Software is a collection of instructions and data that enables a computer, smartphone, or other device to perform tasks. A program is a standalone application or set of commands, so the term “software” is broader: it can refer to programs as a whole and to other software components.

In everyday speech, “software” and “program” are often used as synonyms, but the distinction helps describe digital products more precisely. Let’s look at what software includes, what kinds of programs there are, and why the terms don’t always mean the same thing.

• 3 examples A video game, text editor, and social networking app are all software.
• 2 main categories This article distinguishes between system software and application programs.
• 1 broad term “Software” covers different types of software.

What is software?

Software is a broad, informal term for software—that is, the programs and components needed to run an operating system as well as application programs. It is an umbrella term for different kinds of programs, not the name of an app with a single function or one designed for a particular device.

Software includes system components required for an OS to work, as well as programs used for specific tasks. A video game, text editor, and social networking app, for instance, are all software, even though they serve different purposes.

The word “program” can refer to a standalone software product, while “software” can refer to an entire category of such products. So a text editor can be called both a program and software; the word “software” itself doesn’t tell you what device a program runs on or what it does.

How does software differ from a program or an app?

“Software” is the broadest term: it covers all software, while “program” and “app” more often refer to specific types of software or individual products. Windows, for example, includes system components, while a text editor and social networking client are application software.

How the terms differ

• Software is a general term for software. It can refer to an operating system, a video game, or a text editor.
• Program usually means a specific solution or set of code designed for a particular task. A text editor, for example, is a program for working with text.
• App is a program that users interact with directly to perform a task, such as editing a document or opening a social network feed. An app is therefore software, too.

The boundaries between these terms aren’t strict: depending on the context, a text editor can be called a program, an app, or software. In everyday speech, “software” sometimes means a program installed on a computer, such as a desktop editor. This is a narrower use of the word, since software also includes system components and other types of software.

How are operating systems, system software, and apps related?

An operating system is system software: Windows on a computer or Android on a smartphone manages the device and enables apps to run. System components and apps support the operation of the OS itself, so they have a different role from a user-facing text editor or game.

Application software is designed for users’ professional and everyday tasks. Microsoft Word, for example, helps create documents, while a video game is for playing; both are apps, not operating systems. Social networking apps are application software, too.

Operating systems and application apps are different categories of software, but both fall under the broader term “software.” A useful way to distinguish them is by their purpose: Windows and Android make the device work, system components support the OS, and Word, games, and social networking apps perform tasks for the user.

What kinds of software are found on computers and smartphones?

Software on a computer or smartphone can include a text editor, a video game, a social networking app, as well as system apps and operating system components. These are different types of software: the first three help users complete tasks or have fun, while system software makes the OS itself work.

• Text editor — application software for creating and editing text. For example, you can use one to write a letter or a document.
• Video game — software, too: its entertainment purpose doesn’t change the fact that it’s software.
• Social networking app — software that can be used on a smartphone or computer. It lets users interact with a social network on their device.

Application and system software

Application programs such as text editors and video games are designed for user tasks. System apps and components, by contrast, support the operating system: they don’t replace an editor, game, or social networking app, but belong to a different layer of software.

When can the word “software” be misleading?

The word “software” can be misleading when it’s taken to mean one specific program: it’s a general term for different types of software. Microsoft Word, for example, is a text editor, while Windows is an operating system. Both are software, but they serve different purposes.

• Program and operating system. Not every program is an OS: a text editor helps create documents, while an operating system runs the computer and enables it to interact with its programs.
• App and smartphone. “App” doesn’t only mean a program on a phone: user-facing software on a computer, such as Microsoft Word, can also be called an app.
• Software and desktop program. When installing something on a computer, people sometimes use “software” to mean desktop apps specifically. This is narrower than the general meaning of the word, which includes other types of software, from system components to video games.

So the meaning of “software” depends on the context: when talking about installing something on a computer, it can mean a desktop app, while in descriptions of digital products it can mean software as a whole. To avoid confusion, it helps to specify what you mean: an operating system, a user-facing program, or another type of software.

How can you quickly tell what kind of software someone means?

You can tell what kind of software someone means from the context: device startup points to system software, a specific task to an application program, and a category of programs as a whole to software. For example, a question about the environment a computer or smartphone runs in usually refers to the operating system.

• Starting and running a device: An operating system and other system apps are system software. This refers to the components needed for the OS to work properly.
• A specific task: Editing text, playing a game, or communicating on a social network are examples of using application software.
• A category of programs: The terms “software” and “software products” work when discussing different types of programs, rather than one specific program.

You can check the distinction with examples: an operating system is system software; a text editor, video game, and social networking app are application programs. All these examples fall into the broader category of software, so it’s also correct to call them software.

Frequently asked questions

Written byDmitriy Lastochkin

Дмитрий специализируется на программном обеспечении и приложениях, исследуя их функциональность и влияние на повседневную жизнь. Его подход основан на тщательном анализе и тестировании, чтобы предложить читателям самые актуальные и полезные решения.