Software Upgrade vs Software Update: What is the difference?
Last updated: June 27, 2024 Read in fullscreen view
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| Software Upgrade | Software Update |
You’ve probably not thought about it and often used these two words interchangeably but actually there’s quite a big difference between a software update and a software upgrade.
A software update is typically a release containing enhancements to the current version. An upgrade is a whole new version of software that represents a significant change or major improvement, sometimes called “migration”.
Software Upgrade
Software upgrades offer significant change and new functionality over previous versions and effectively supersede them. For this reason, they do require the purchase of engineering time to migrate from one system to the other. And they tend to involve more people within your company to ensure all aspects of the project and different user requirements are considered.
However for some models like subscription-based, the SaaS vendor doesn’t charge customers with an active maintenance contract. It’s offered free of charge on a like-for-like basis.
Software Update
Software updates are typically small, released at more frequent intervals and free. They’re intended to:
- Fix any known bugs or issues.
- Include updated security protocols and patches.
- Introduce new features or enhancements.
- Improve application speed/performance.
- Ensure compatibility with and add support for the latest third-party software or hardware.
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