Often I get the question; what is the difference between digital and online?
My advice is that you shall always think through what you mean when using the expressions online and digital. Here’s how I like to explain the two terms.
I usually try to explain online and digital in a simplified way:
Online means that someone or something currently is connected to the Internet.
Digital, meanwhile, is a format or a process. It describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data. Digital can thus be both online and offline—for example; a digital audio file can both be streamed online and stored on a disc or hard drive.
I have summarised it into a presentation (pptx). Check it out and feel free to download.
Want to know more? Through our digitalisation guide: what, why, when and how to use it you'll find much more to read!
This article was updated June 21, 2021.
You can also read this article in Swedish on Onlineguiden.