What is the difference between localhost and 127.0.0.1?

On almost every computer, localhost and 127.0.0.1 function identically. However, they are not exactly the same. This article aims to explain the important differences between localhost and 127.0.01.

What is localhost?

"localhost" is the computer name or IP address of the host server. You can think of it as the domain name of "127.0.0.1". Localhost allows the network connection to loop back on its own. It is the communication port connected to the local server. It helps us to spoof network connections when such a network does not exist. We tend to use localhost as a synonym for "127.0.0.1", but in practice they are not exactly the same.

When you type "localhost" into your browser's address bar, the browser looks for its associated IP address. Note that "localhost" does not always have to resolve to "127.0.0.1". It may redirect to another IP address within the loopback address block.

What is 127.0.0.1?

IP address 127.0.0.1 is one of the most commonly used loopback IP addresses. 127.0.0.1 is used exclusively for loopback functionality. 127.0.0.1 is part of a reserved block of over 16 million IP addresses. 127.0.0.1 is the private IP address used to connect to the same device that was entered.

You will use this IP address frequently when developing web applications because when you type "127.0.0.1" into your browser's address bar, it will load the page from your local web server. Additionally, you can use 127.0.0.1 to access network services running on your local machine.

Difference between localhost and 127.0.0.1

The table below highlights all the important differences between localhost and 127.0.0.1 -

local host	127.0.0.1
In localhost, we need a lookup table.	No lookup table required.
Converting localhost to IP address requires a lookup table.	The address 127.0.0.1 can be directly converted to an IP address through intelligent software. Here, there is no need to look up tables at all.
Localhost is easy to remember.	The IP address 127.0.0.1 is difficult to remember.
It is user-friendly as you just type "http://localhost" into your browser's address bar.	You need to enter "http://127.0.0.1" in the browser address bar, which is difficult to remember.
Localhost is slower compared to 127.0.0.1.	IP address 127.0.0.1 is faster

in conclusion

The most significant difference between

localhost and 127.0.0.1 is that in case of localhost we need to have a lookup table whereas in 127.0.0.1 we need a Lookup table. No need to look for a table somewhere.

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