Difference between System Software and Operating System Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report Software is like a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do. There are two main types application software and system software. Application software is extra programs you can add to your computer to do specific things, like write documents or play games. You don't need these to use your computer, but they help you do particular tasks. System software is the basic software that runs your computer. It manages all the parts of the computer and makes sure everything works together. The most important system software is called an operating system. It helps you interact with your computer and use all its features. Without system software, your computer wouldn't work at all.What is System Software?System Software is a main part of any computer system. It consists of programs that manage and control the computer's hardware components. Acting as a bridge between the user, hardware, and application software, system software ensures the smooth operation of the entire computer system. Its primary role is to coordinate various hardware elements and provide a stable environment for other software to run. System software handles essential tasks like managing memory, processing data, and controlling input/output operations. Taking care of these fundamental functions, allows users to interact with the computer more easily and enables application software to perform specific tasks effectively. In essence, system software forms the foundation upon which all other software relies, making it an indispensable part of modern computing.What is an Operating System?The operating system is a fundamental piece of software that serves as the core of a computer system. It acts as an intermediary between the user's computer hardware and application software. When the computer is turned on the operating system is the first program to start initiated by BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). Its primary role is to manage the computer resources including hardware components, memory, and storage. The operating system has a user-friendly environment that allows people to interact with the computer, run applications, and utilize various hardware features. It handles important tasks such as allocating system resources, managing files, and controlling input and output operations. By taking care of these functions the operating system creates a stable platform for other software to run on making it an indispensable component of any computer system. The operating system acts as the central coordinator ensuring all parts of the computer work together smoothly and efficiently.Difference Between System Software and Operating SystemSystem SoftwareOperating SystemThe software which manages the resources and makes the interaction between a user and machine possible is system software.An operating system is a software that communicates with your computer hardware and provides a place to run the application.System software manages the system.Operating System manages system as well as system software.Types of System Software-Operating Systems- MS Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc.Device Drivers- Display drivers, USB drivers, etc.Firmware- BIOS, Embedded Systems, etc.Language Translators- Compiler, Interpreter, AssemblerUtility- Antivirus software, WinRAR, etc.Types of Operating System-Batch Operating SystemMultiprocessing Operating SystemMultiprogramming Operating SystemMulti Tasking Operating SystemTime Sharing Operating SystemReal-Time Operating SystemDistributed Operating SystemNetwork Operating SystemIt's run only when required.It runs all the time.It loads in the main memory whenever required. It resides in the main memory all the time while the system is on.It is loaded by the operating system.It resides in the main memory all the time while the system is on.Examples of system software are MacOS, Android, and Microsoft windows.Examples of OS are Windows, OS X, and Linux.Major Difference between System Software and Operating SystemScope: Operating system is a type of system software, but system software is not limited to operating system only. System software includes various other programs that help to manage and run the computer system, such as device drivers, language translators, utility programs, and more.Function: Operating system is the main program that manages and controls all the other software and hardware components of the computer. It provides a platform for other software applications to run on top of it. System software, on the other hand, provides tools and services to help developers create and manage software applications.Importance: Operating system is an essential component of any computer system. Without an operating system, a computer cannot function. System software, on the other hand, is important but not essential. Some applications can run without system software, but they may not be able to utilize the full power of the computer system.Complexity: Operating systems are usually more complex than other types of system software. They have to manage hardware resources, provide security, and support various software applications. System software, on the other hand, can be relatively simple in comparison, depending on its purpose.ConclusionSystem software is the basic software that runs your computer. It controls all the parts inside your computer and makes sure they work together. The most important system software is called an operating system. It helps you use your computer by connecting you to the machine's parts. The operating system also lets you run other programs on your computer. Without system software, especially the operating system, your computer wouldn't be able to do anything. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article What is an Operating System? S sidhijain Follow Improve Article Tags : Operating Systems Difference Between Similar Reads Operating System Tutorial An Operating System(OS) is a software that manages and handles hardware and software resources of a computing device. Responsible for managing and controlling all the activities and sharing of computer resources among different running applications.A low-level Software that includes all the basic fu 4 min read OS BasicsWhat is an Operating System?An Operating System is a System software that manages all the resources of the computing device. Acts as an interface between the software and different parts of the computer or the computer hardware. 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The chunks that a program is divided into which are not necessarily all of the exact sizes are called segments. Segmentation gives the user's view of the process which paging does not provide. Here the user's view is mapped to physical memory. Types of Segmentatio 4 min read Page Replacement Algorithms in Operating SystemsIn an operating system that uses paging for memory management, a page replacement algorithm is needed to decide which page needs to be replaced when a new page comes in. Page replacement becomes necessary when a page fault occurs and no free page frames are in memory. in this article, we will discus 7 min read File Systems in Operating SystemA computer file is defined as a medium used for saving and managing data in the computer system. The data stored in the computer system is completely in digital format, although there can be various types of files that help us to store the data.File systems are a crucial part of any operating system 8 min read File Systems in Operating SystemA computer file is defined as a medium used for saving and managing data in the computer system. The data stored in the computer system is completely in digital format, although there can be various types of files that help us to store the data.File systems are a crucial part of any operating system 8 min read Advanced OSMultithreading in Operating SystemA thread is a path that is followed during a program’s execution. The majority of programs written nowadays run as a single thread. For example, a program is not capable of reading keystrokes while making drawings. These tasks cannot be executed by the program at the same time. This problem can be s 7 min read Compaction in Operating SystemCompaction is a technique to collect all the free memory present in the form of fragments into one large chunk of free memory, which can be used to run other processes. It does that by moving all the processes towards one end of the memory and all the available free space towards the other end of th 3 min read Belady's Anomaly in Page Replacement AlgorithmsBelady's Anomaly is a phenomenon in operating systems where increasing the number of page frames in memory leads to an increase in the number of page faults for certain page replacement algorithms. Normally, as more page frames are available, the operating system has more flexibility to keep the nec 11 min read Techniques to handle ThrashingPrerequisite - Virtual Memory Thrashing is a condition or a situation when the system is spending a major portion of its time servicing the page faults, but the actual processing done is very negligible. Causes of thrashing:High degree of multiprogramming.Lack of frames.Page replacement policy.Thras 6 min read Free Space Management in Operating SystemFree space management is a critical aspect of operating systems as it involves managing the available storage space on the hard disk or other secondary storage devices. The operating system uses various techniques to manage free space and optimize the use of storage devices. Here are some of the com 7 min read RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks)RAID is a technique that combines multiple hard drives or SSDs into a single system to improve performance, data safety, or both. If one drive fails, data can still be recovered from the others.RAID helps store data more reliably and efficiently by spreading or copying data across drives. Different 13 min read PracticeLast Minute Notes – Operating SystemsAn Operating System (OS) is a system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. It acts as an interface between the user and the computer hardware.Table of Content Types of Operating System (OS): ThreadsProcessCPU Scheduling Algor 15+ min read Operating System Interview QuestionsAn operating system acts as a GUI between the user and the computer system. In other words, an OS acts as an intermediary between the user and the computer hardware, managing resources such as memory, processing power, and input/output operations. Here some examples of popular operating systems incl 15+ min read Operating Systems - GATE CSE Previous Year QuestionsThe Operating System(OS) subject has high importance in GATE CSE exam because:large number of questions nearly 10-12% of the total asked significant weightage (9-11 marks) across multiple years which can also be seen in the below given table:YearApprox. Marks from OSNumber of QuestionsDifficulty Lev 2 min read Like