Class vs Object — What's the Difference?

A class is a blueprint or template defining properties and behavior; an object is a specific instance created from that class, with its own actual values for those properties.

Why they differ

• A class is defined once in code; many distinct objects can be created from the same class
• Each object has its own independent copy of the class's instance properties, even though they share the same defined behavior

How to choose

• Think of a class like a blueprint for a house, and each object as an actual house built from that blueprint
• Changing a class definition affects all future objects created from it, but not the state already stored in existing objects

FAQ

Is a class itself an object?

In some languages (like Python and Ruby), yes — classes are themselves objects (instances of a "metaclass"), which is why you can inspect or even modify a class at runtime in those languages.