Web vs. Internet

In 1994...

WWW (World Web Web)

The Internet is the underlying infrastructure—a global network of interconnected computers and servers that communicate using standardized protocols (like TCP/IP). It's the physical and digital foundation that allows devices worldwide to exchange data. The internet has existed since the late 1960s/early 1970s.

The World Wide Web (or just "web") is one service that runs on top of the internet. It's a system of interlinked documents and resources accessed through web browsers using HTTP/HTTPS protocols. The web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 and became publicly available in 1991.

An analogy: If the internet is like a highway system, the web is like one type of vehicle that travels on those highways.

Other internet services beyond the web include:

• Email (SMTP, IMAP, POP)

• File transfer (FTP)

• Instant messaging

• Online gaming

• Video streaming services

• IoT device communications

So when you're browsing websites, you're using the web through the internet.