Whenever I try to look up either Google Cast or Chromecast, I always find articles and information which further increase confusion regarding the two. Therefore I think it’s necessary to write this article to help all those who, just like me, can’t seem to figure out if the two are the same or if they’re different after all.

Well, the short answer is yes. They are different.

Google Cast is a software developed by Google that allows users to utilize screen-sharing technology between any smartphone, tablet or laptop and a Chromecast compatible multimedia player device, usually a smart TV. This way, you can access your media, including videos, movies, streaming services, music, TV shows, etc. straight from your device. And, of course, watch it on your home entertainment system with ease and comfort.

There’s almost no setup required and the UI is super easy to control. The media playback can be controlled remotely from the device being used as well. The ease of continuing an episode you’ve been watching on your phone, directly onto your TV within a few taps on your phone is an experience that enhances your entertainment consumption greatly.

On the other hand, Chromecast is Google’s own media streaming adapter. It's a hardware dongle that can be plugged into any TV’s HDMI port and turn it into a smart, streaming device. This allows you to enjoy a plethora of media content, all with extreme ease and comfort. You can use your smartphone, tablet or even your laptop to control the media playback remotely. All you need to do is download the Chromecast app and you’re good to go. PCGuide has explained this in-depth, check it out while you’re at it.

Chromecast has a wide variety of TV shows, movies, cable network channels, streaming services, music streaming services and more available for your ease.

Your Chromecast streaming device doesn't have to be used only at home or at the office. When traveling, you can connect your Chromecast to the hotel's Wi-Fi in order to stream your favorite media on the hotel's TV. Check out this article to see how to save time on setting up your Chromecast for travel and make sure it'll work.

The gist of the whole article is: Google Cast is the software ecosystem provided by Google that allows screen-sharing with compatible devices. Whereas, Chromecast is a media streaming hardware dongle that acts as a variant of classic set-top boxes and allows you to access a plethora of entertainment content with ease.