The Best Compare and Contrast Topics for Essays

Last Updated: 03 March 2023

High school, college, and university students often encounter writing essays as part of their assignments. A compare and contrast essay is a commonly assigned task whose primary purpose entails finding and analyzing the similarities and differences (variations) between two subjects that belong to the same category.


Like any other assignment, choosing the best topics for a compare and contrast essay is a common challenge almost all students face. There is so much that one can write about, and doubts about whether choosing certain subjects would count towards writing a high-class essay often arise. 


Recognizing this fact, our custom writers have brainstormed, researched, thought, and shared creative, engaging, and reliable compare-and-contrast essay topics that you can consider for your assignment.


General Topic Ideas and Compare and Contrast Topics for Essays


When writing a compare-and-contrast essay or research paper, think about how you can compare their similarities vs. differences using the same frame of comparison. You can choose topics relating to sports, history, geography, transport modes, arts, literature, biology, medicine, chemistry, and everything around you. Here are some of the best topics that you can select:



  1. iPhone vs. Samsung Phones

  2. Hostel vs. Motel

  3. Camping vs. Hiking

  4. Silver vs. Gold

  5. Mouthwash vs. Toothpaste

  6. Lust vs. Love

  7. Ethereum vs. Bitcoin

  8. Poetry vs. Prose

  9. Essays vs. Research Paper

  10. Nurses vs. Doctors

  11. Plastic bags vs. Paper bags

  12. Communism vs. capitalism

  13. Adulthood vs. Childhood

  14. Monarchy vs. Presidency

  15. Jazz vs. Blues

  16. Capital punishment vs. Lifetime jail sentence

  17. Pop vs. Rap music

  18. Bonds vs. Stock

  19. Octopus vs. Squid

  20. Sea Lions vs. Seals

  21. Reptiles vs. Mammals

  22. Donkeys vs. Zebras

  23. Mules vs. Horses

  24. Birds vs. Birds

  25. Homeownership vs. Renting

  26. Fahrenheit 451 vs. 1984

  27. Whites vs. Black Americans

  28. North pole vs. South Pole

  29. Oil vs. Watercolor

  30. Frogs vs. Toads

  31. Summer vs. Winter

  32. Bicycle vs. Motorcycle

  33. Vacation vs. Staycation

  34. Apples vs. Strawberries

  35. America vs. Europe

  36. Basketball vs. Handball

  37. Football vs. Rugby

  38. Mall vs. Hypermarket

  39. Reading vs. Writing

  40. Skiing vs. Cycling

  41. Tiles vs. Carpets

  42. Dogs vs. Cats

  43. Lion vs. Jaguar

  44. Peace vs. War

  45. Cold vs. Hot weather

  46. Hurricanes vs. Tornadoes

  47. Inline Skating vs. Skateboarding

  48. Hoverboard vs. Skateboard

  49. Scooters vs. skateboards

  50. Balance bikes vs. tricycles

  51. Balance bikes vs. pedal bikes

  52. Road bikes vs. Mountain Bikes

  53. Tour de France vs. The Great Britain Tour

  54. Cheetah vs. Leopard

  55. Elephant vs. Rhino

  56. Whale vs. Sharks

  57. Dolphins vs. Sharks

  58. Basketball vs. Baseball

  59. Long hair vs. Short hair

  60. Engineer vs. Technician

  61. Xbox One vs. Ps4

  62. iPhone 14 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22

  63. Owl vs. Cats

  64. Geese vs. Ducks

  65. High school exams vs. College exams

  66. Men vs. Women

  67. Toddlers vs. Teenagers

  68. Van camping vs. Tent Camping

  69. Marathon vs. Sprinting

  70. Online learning vs. Hybrid learning

  71. Typing vs. handwriting

  72. Judaism vs. Christianity

  73. Jewish vs. Muslims

  74. E-books vs. textbooks

  75. Winter vs. Summer

  76. Fruits vs. Vegetables

  77. Nature vs. Nurture

  78. Superego vs. Ego

  79. America vs. Australia

  80. India vs. Pakistan

  81. Telescope vs. Microscope

  82. Suicide vs. Homicide

  83. Soccer vs. Rugby

  84. Cricket vs. Tennis

  85. Ping Pong vs. Table Tennis

  86. Chess vs. Checkers

  87. Cloning vs. genetic engineering

  88. Rice vs. Wheat

  89. Comedy vs. Drama

  90. Credit Card vs. Cash Payment

  91. Opera vs. Vivaldi

  92. Opera vs. Musical

  93. Opera Mini Vs. Google Chrome

  94. Apple vs. Samsung

  95. Paris Hilton vs. Kim Kardashian

  96. Popsicles vs. Lollipops

  97. Pizza vs. Pasta

  98. Oprah Winfrey vs. Ellen DeGeneres

  99. Vaccination vs. Medications

  100. Training vs. Surgery

  101. Morning vs. Evening Exercises

  102. Crocodile vs. Alligators

  103. Strength training vs. Endurance training

  104. Batman vs. Superman

  105. Spiderman vs. Hulk

  106. Comic books vs. Manga

  107. Graphic novels vs. comic books

  108. Bible vs. Quran

  109. Horror movies vs. Thriller Movies

  110. The Witcher vs. Game of Thrones

  111. Netflix vs. Amazon Movies

  112. Charter schools vs. Public Schools

  113. Teachers vs. Teaching Assistants

  114. Dentists vs. Doctors

  115. Neurosurgeons vs. Cardiologists

  116. Alan Moore vs. Emma Goodman

  117. Parental absenteeism vs. Helicopter parenting

  118. Zoom meetings vs. Google Meet

  119. Swimming vs. Running

  120. Alcohol vs. Marijuana

  121. Bill Clinton vs. Barrack Obama

  122. Putin vs. Hitler

  123. Ukraine vs. Russia

  124. Tom Mboya vs. Martin Luther King

  125. Trump vs. Barrack Obama

  126. Joe Biden vs. George Bush

  127. Africa vs. Europe

  128. America vs. China

  129. Rich vs. Poor

  130. Educated vs. uneducated parents

  131. Prezi vs. PowerPoint

  132. Nightgown vs. Pajamas

  133. Face-to-face meetings vs. online meetings

  134. Pen pals vs. Facebook friends

  135. Birthday vs. Christmas day celebrations

  136. Circus vs. Zoo

  137. Online TV vs. Mainstream TV stations

  138. Magazines vs. Blogs

  139. Google vs. Yahoo

  140. Computers vs. Tables

  141. Smartphones vs. Pay Phones

  142. Breakfast vs. Lunch

  143. January vs. December

  144. Police vs. Army

  145. Firefighters vs. Paramedics

  146. Earth tremors vs. Earthquakes

  147. Hydrogen vs. Oxygen

  148. Elon Musk vs. Steve Jobs

  149. Jeff Bezos vs. Andrew Carnegie

  150. Mansa Musa vs. Aliko Dangote

  151. Kenya vs. South Africa

  152. Sweden vs. Italy

  153. New York vs. Colorado

  154. State vs. Federal Laws

  155. Flowers vs. Fruits

  156. Mushrooms vs. Potatoes

  157. Ground nuts vs. Cashew Nuts

  158. Lemon vs. Orange

  159. German Shepherds vs. Pit bulls

  160. Humanities vs. Social Sciences

  161. Sandy vs. Ice Deserts

  162. Zeppelin vs. Hot air balloon

  163. Ziplining vs. Bungee Jumping

  164. Homeschooling vs. attending private school

  165. Baby boomers vs. Millenials

  166. Fiction books vs. Self-development books

  167. Mars vs. Earth

  168. Self-driving trucks vs. driver-operated trucks

  169. Grades vs. standardized tests

  170. Fantasy vs. Fiction

  171. Fiction vs. Non-fiction books

  172. Rain vs. Hail

  173. Storm vs. typhoon

  174. Lightning vs. Thunderstorms

  175. Canned soda vs. Plastic Soda

  176. Home-cooked food vs. Hotel Food

  177. Contact lenses vs. Glasses

  178. TOEFL vs. IELTS

  179. C-section vs. Normal Birth

  180. Coca-Cola vs. PepsiCo

  181. BBC vs. CNN

  182. Fox News vs. MSNBC

  183. Iraq vs. Iran

  184. Canada vs. America

  185. Gatsby vs. Fantine

  186. Amazon vs. Walmart

  187. Racism in America vs. Racism in Europe

  188. Immigration laws in America vs. Europe

  189. The education system in the UK vs. Australia

  190. Healthcare Systems in Australia vs. Canada

  191. Voluntarism vs. Fatalism

  192. Modigliani vs. Picasso

  193. Subway vs. MacDonald's

  194. Amazon vs. Alibaba


If you are wondering which is the most effective topic for a compare and contrast essay, the list of 192 topics above should answer your question comprehensively. We have mixed fun, informative, easy, and current topics so that you have a comprehensive list from which you can select the best topic for your paper.


Culture Compare and Contrast Topics



  1. Mexican Cuisine vs. Spanish Cuisine

  2. Chinese culture vs. Jewish Culture

  3. European culture vs. Latin American Culture

  4. Christian traditions in Israel vs. Egypt

  5. American vs. South African Family systems

  6. Spanish vs. Finnish educational culture

  7. Marriage rites in Indian vs. Australian Culture

  8. Saving culture in India vs. the UK

  9. Latin American music vs. Mexican Music

  10. Brazilian dances vs. Indian dances


Arts Compare and Contrast Topics



  1. Abstract art movement vs. Op art movement

  2. Mozart vs. Beethoven

  3. Donatello vs. Michelangelo.

  4. Oil paint vs. Acrylics

  5. Luminism vs. Impressionism era

  6. Salvador Dali vs. Van Gogh

  7. Neoclassical vs. Renaissance Painters

  8. Georges Seurat vs. Paul Signac

  9. Frida Kahlo vs. Diego Rivera

  10. Michelangelo vs. Leonardo Da Vinci

  11. Baroque art vs. Renaissance art

  12. Romantic art vs. neoclassical art

  13. Basil's Cathedral vs. Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasília

  14. Sultan Ahmed Mosque vs. Mosque of Córdoba

  15. Sydney Opera House vs. The Lotus Temple

  16. Forbidden City vs. Angkor Wat


Compare and Contrast Topics in Psychology



  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) vs. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  2. Art therapy vs. Talk Therapy

  3. Group counseling vs. Individual counseling

  4. EMDR vs. CBT

  5. Acute stress disorder vs. PTSD

  6. Anxiety vs. Depression

  7. Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder

  8. Maniac depression vs. Bipolar

  9. Psychiatry vs. Psychology

  10. Homicide vs. Suicide

  11. Down syndrome vs. Autism

  12. Vaping vs. Smoking

  13. Nurture vs. Nature

  14. Cognitive theories vs. behavioral theories

  15. Psychodynamic theories vs. humanistic theories

  16. Biological theories vs. humanistic theories

  17. Grand theories vs. developmental theories

  18. Piaget's vs. Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development


Healthcare and Medicine Compare and Contrast Topics


You can consider the medical compare and contrast essay topics below and write an essay that meets the requirements to score a higher grade.



  1. Universal healthcare vs. Single-payer

  2. UTI vs. Yeast Infection

  3. Kidney stone vs. UTI

  4. Female tube ligation vs. male vasectomy

  5. Male contraceptives vs. female contraceptives

  6. Vaccination vs. medication

  7. Open surgery vs. closed surgery

  8. Local hospital vs. mobile clinics

  9. Gynecologists vs. obstetricians

  10. Makeup vs. plastic surgery

  11. Inpatient vs. outpatient care

  12. Transplant vs. graft

  13. Dialysis vs. Transplant

  14. Organ donation vs. Organ trafficking

  15. Free healthcare vs. Universal Healthcare

  16. Health insurance vs. Out of pocket payment systems

  17. Universal healthcare vs. Socialized medicine

  18. Private hospitals vs. Public hospitals

  19. Doctors vs. Nurses

  20. Osteopathic vs. Allopathic medicine

  21. Emergency Room vs. Intensive Care Unit

  22. Male vs. Female Nurses

  23. Diabetes vs. Smoking deaths

  24. Universal Health Care Vs. Private Healthcare

  25. AIDS vs. Cancer deaths

  26. Covid 19 vs. Spanish Flu

  27. Registered Nurses (RN) vs. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN)

  28. Registered Nurse vs. Physician Assistant

  29. Paramedic vs. Registered Nurse

  30. Affordable care act vs. private insurance

  31. Covered California vs. Affordable Care

  32. Coal power vs. Hydroelectric power

  33. Renewable sources of energy vs. non-renewable sources of energy


You can find very many aspects of the healthcare system to compare. You can focus on processes, professions, procedures, and systems.


Movies Compare and Contrast Essay Topics



  1. Netflix vs. HBO

  2. Family movies vs. Animation

  3. Christian movies vs. secular movies

  4. Shows vs. series

  5. 2D vs 3D movies

  6. Game of Thrones vs. House of the Dragon

  7. Vikings vs. Lord of the Rings

  8. Wheel of time vs. Game of Thrones

  9. Stranger Things vs. Squid Game

  10. Cobra Kai vs. Miyagi Do

  11. Power Rangers vs. Ninja Turtles

  12. Amazon prime vs. Netflix

  13. Watching movies vs. reading movie reviews

  14. Horror vs. thriller movies

  15. Thor vs. Loki

  16. Orange is the new Black vs. Wentworth

  17. High school musicals vs. Romantic Movies

  18. Sci-Fi vs. Thriller movies

  19. Bollywood vs. Hollywood

  20. Marvel vs. DC

  21. Movies vs. TV Series

  22. Movies vs. Novels

  23. The Black Cat: comparison between the movie and the book

  24. Life is Beautiful vs. the Bible


Automotive or Vehicle Compare and Contrast Essay Topics and Ideas



  1. Ford Escalade vs. Toyota Highlander

  2. Toyota vs. Ford

  3. Mercedes Benz vs. Audi

  4. Subaru vs. Nissan

  5. Ford vs. Jaguar and Land Rover

  6. Tata vs. Hyundai

  7. Honda Pilot vs. Toyota Highlander

  8. Honda Odyssey vs. Pilot

  9. PSV vs. TSV

  10. SUV vs. Wagon

  11. V6 engine vs. V8 Engine

  12. Peugeot vs. Honda

  13. Ferrari vs. Bugatti

  14. Aston Martin vs. Lamborghini

  15. Bentley vs. Maserati

  16. Porsche vs. Jaguar

  17. Mclaren vs. Maserati

  18. Tesla vs. Rivian

  19. Hellcat vs. Lucid

  20. Hydrogen cars vs. electric cars

  21. Gasoline cars vs. Electric cars


Compare and contrast topics for Kitchen Items



  1. Cups vs. Plates

  2. Pans vs. Oven

  3. Open kitchen vs. closed kitchen

  4. Compare two styles of kitchen

  5. Cooking at home vs. taking away meals from hotels

  6. Olive Oil vs. vegetable oil

  7. Mustard oil vs. butter

  8. Burger vs. Pizza

  9. Fries vs. Chips

  10. Spoons vs. forks

  11. Dining table vs. Kitchen table

  12. Air fryer vs. Oven

  13. Electric pressure cooker vs. Conventional Pressure cooker

  14. Electric Oven vs. Halogen oven


You can look around your kitchen and spot items, recipes, foods, or ingredients to explore their similarities and differences in a compare and contrast essay.


History Compare and Contrast Topics for Essays


When writing a compare and contrast essay, there is no limit to the extent to which you can explore and show your creativity. You can compare and contrast historical concepts, phenomena, or issues. For instance, you can focus on the historical era, events, personalities or figures, or issues that affected society differently. It would be good if you select a controversial or debatable topic. But you can also select little thought of or known topics if they are historically relevant.



  1. Compare and contrast American Revolutionary War versus French Revolutionary War

  2. Civil war vs. American Revolution

  3. Herman Cortes vs. Cristopher Columbus explorations

  4. Agrarian Revolution vs. Industrial Revolution

  5. Industrial Revolution vs. Green revolution

  6. Compare and contrast Mexican War vs. Spanish American War

  7. Occupy Wallstreet vs. Tea Party

  8. Tea Party vs. Libertarian Party

  9. Republican Party vs. Democratic Party

  10. Industrial revolution in Europe vs. America

  11. World War II vs. World War I

  12. Franco vs. Mussolini

  13. Consequences of World War I and World War II

  14. Nikola Tesla vs. Thomas Edison

  15. Ronald Reagan vs. Bill Clinton

  16. Anti-slavery vs. Pro-slavery religion

  17. Global South vs. Global North

  18. Right-wing vs. Left-Wing Politics

  19. Fascism vs. Nazism

  20. Autocracy vs. Democracy

  21. Communism vs. Socialism

  22. John Rockefeller vs. Andrew Carnegie

  23. Fukushima vs. Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster

  24. Gandhi vs. Martin Luther King

  25. Fascism and Totalitarianism

  26. Abraham Lincoln vs. John. F, Kennedy Assassination

  27. NATO vs. the Soviet Union

  28. Persians vs. Ottoman Empire

  29. Korean War vs. Vietnam War

  30. Aristotle vs. Socrates

  31. John Locke vs. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  32. Karl Marx and Friedrich Hegel

  33. Stance on slavery by Frederick Douglass vs. William Lloyd Garrison

  34. Black Lives Matter vs. Civil Rights Movement

  35. Black Lives Matter vs. Me too Movement

  36. Black Lives Matter vs. Black power movement

  37. Theodore Roosevelt vs. Franklin Roosevelt

  38. Winston Churchill vs. JP Morgan

  39. America vs. Soviet Government

  40. Influenza epidemic attacks vs. Covid 19

  41. Black death vs. Bubonic Plague

  42. Spanish flu vs. Black Death


These are just a few ideas and topics on which you can write your compare and contrast essay or research paper if it has a historical background.


Compare and Contrast Topics about Technology



  1. Android vs. IOS systems

  2. WhatsApp vs. Telegram

  3. WeChat vs. WhatsApp

  4. AI vs. Supercomputer

  5. Quantum computer vs. supercomputer

  6. Censorship vs. Freedom of Speech

  7. Landline phones vs. Mobile Phones

  8. Smartphones vs. phones

  9. Online books vs. Printed books

  10. Facebook vs. Twitter

  11. Instagram vs. Tik Tok

  12. Google vs. Tik Tok

  13. Mobile games vs. outdoor games

  14. Streaming movies vs. watching movies in the theater

  15. Robots vs. humans

  16. Cryptocurrency vs. Fiat currency

  17. Forex vs. Crypto Trading

  18. Internet censorship in China vs. North Korea

  19. Technological Capacity of China vs. USA

  20. Patents vs. Copyrights

  21. Physical vs. Digital Pictures

  22. Google Home vs. Amazon Echo Dot

  23. Siri vs. Alexa

  24. LGA vs. PGA technology

  25. Bixby vs. Siri

  26. Google Assistant vs. Cortana

  27. Windows vs. Ubuntu

  28. Tablet vs. Computers

  29. Laptop vs. PC

  30. Huawei vs. Samsung Phones

  31. Texting vs. Calling

  32. Bar codes vs. RFIDs

  33. Undersea cables vs. Satellite

  34. Online banking vs. Physical banking

  35. HP vs. DELL laptops

  36. Apple vs. HP laptops

  37. Ethernet vs. WIFI

  38. DSLR vs. Smartphone Camera


Aviation-Related Compare and Contrast Topics



  1. Airplanes vs. jets

  2. Helicopters vs. jets

  3. John F. Kennedy Airport Vs. Newark Airport

  4. LaGuardia Airport vs. JFK airport

  5. Private Jet vs. Plane

  6. Pilots vs. Captains

  7. Drivers vs. Pilots

  8. Airports vs. Airstrips

  9. Drones vs. UAVs

  10. Flying cars vs. Planes

  11. South West Airlines vs. American Airlines

  12. Delta Airlines vs. JetBlue

  13. United Airlines vs. Delta Airlines

  14. Spirit Airlines vs. Frontier Airlines

  15. FedEx Express vs. UPS Airlines

  16. Atlas Air vs. Kalitta Air

  17. Hawaiian Airlines vs. Allegiant Air

  18. Space X vs. Boeing

  19. Airbus vs. Boeing

  20. Lockheed Martin vs. Boeing

  21. Doug Parker vs. Scott Kirby

  22. Ed Bastian vs. Oscar Munoz

  23. FAA vs. ICAO

  24. NTSB vs. CAA


Transportation Compare and Contrast Topics



  1. Yacht vs. Cruise Ships

  2. Ferry vs. Ship

  3. Canal vs. River

  4. Channel vs. Canal

  5. Lorry vs. Pick Up truck

  6. Salon car vs. Wagon

  7. Road vs. Air transport

  8. Air vs. Water transport

  9. Train vs. Air transport

  10. Pipeline vs. Tankers

  11. Air freight vs. Sea Freight

  12. Postal mail vs. Courier

  13. Trucking vs. Plumbing

  14. Trucks vs. Trains


Religion Compare and Contrast Essay Topics



  1. Jewish birth rites of passage vs. Judaism

  2. Christianity vs. Islam

  3. Bible vs. Quran

  4. Religious studies vs. Anthropology

  5. Nuns vs. sisters

  6. Bishop vs. Pope

  7. Priest vs. Pastor

  8. Religiosity vs. Spirituality

  9.  


How to Choose a Compare and Contrast Essay Topic?


Are you still stuck with choosing the best topic for your essay? In most cases, college professors or instructors and high school teachers assign students topics for their essays. However, in instances where none is given, and you are required to demonstrate creativity, research skills, and critical thinking, you must choose an exciting and relevant topic.


When you select the right topic for your essay, you will likely write a high-quality essay that will attract a higher grade. However, the process is easier said than done. To make your compare-and-contrast essay memorable, engaging, and enjoyable, consider the following tips as you select the topic:



  1. Read the instructions to understand if there are specific topics or subjects that you must focus the topic on.

  2. Identify the topics that you are passionate about and find enjoyable to handle. The more interested you are in a subject, the higher the chances you will deliver to your instructor's or professor's expectations.

  3. Check for samples of compare-and-contrast essays written by previous students or those published online.

  4. Consider something that is trending for recent information and fresh ideas. You need to lean toward controversial topics and current trends because people are more interested in knowing things that are either controversial or new.

  5. List down all the ideas you have identified and evaluate their suitability based on relevance, availability of supporting material (scholarly references), and your interest.

  6. Ensure that the subjects you select belong to the same category so that you can compare and contrast their similarities and differences without bias.

  7. Ensure that you have the audience in mind as you choose the topic because you will structure your writing to suit their needs and meet their expectations.


As you research the topics, brainstorm ideas from the findings. Take as many notes as possible and organize sources, making your writing process smooth and effective. Apart from the list of compare and contrast topics we have listed above, these tips can help you widen your perspective and angle of view to come up with unique topics. Whether you are a high school, college, or university student, these topics are well-researched, thought-out, and up-to-date.


Final Words!


You need to know everything about selecting an excellent compare-and-contrast essay topic. You can consider one of the topics listed above or contact us for assistance, for which you will pay some service fee.


Also, check our list of informative topic ideas and topic examples.


We have put together a compare and contrast essay guide to help you make great strides towards a better grade when assigned such a task. You can also get free textbooks and articles online.


If you select a topic here and require to hire someone to help you write your essay, you can always delegate the work to our custom essay writers. We write all essays at a small fee to facilitate our operations. All essays produced on our essay writing website are 100% plagiarism-free, well-researched, and proofread. Expect a paper that meets the rubric and essay requirements.