What is the difference between using cookies and local storage (Application Storage) in a browser?

Cookie and Local Storage are two methods of storing data in the browser, but they have different characteristics:

• Size: Cookies are usually limited to about 4 KB per domain, while Local Storage provides around 5-10 MB.

• Server accessibility: Cookies are automatically sent to the server with each HTTP request, allowing the server to read them. Local Storage is only accessible on the client side (JavaScript).

• Lifetime: Cookies can have an expiration date after which they are deleted. Local Storage stores data indefinitely until manually removed.

• Usage: Cookies are often used for sessions and authentication, while Local Storage is used for storing large amounts of data, user settings, and cache.

Example: if you need to store an authorization token, it's better to use a cookie with the HttpOnly flag for security. For storing interface settings, use Local Storage.