Top 190 Topics You Can Use To Write An Compare/Contrast Essay

by Simon White Essay Topics To Write About

Last modified on May 6th, 2022

Choosing one over the other is not an easy thing. May it be on shopping for new clothes or gadgets, you must always weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes, you even have to search for other people’s opinions to help you decide. But at the end of the day, you should make your own decision.

The same thing is true in compare and contrast essays. In writing one, you need to choose two or three things to discuss. Fortunately, you have several options to consider, from easy to funny, from computer science to art history. There are also topics for college students. If you need an excellent subject for your paper, you can choose from the lists below.

If you have already found a proper topic for your next compare and contrast essay then you might ask EssayZoo to write it for you. We provide essays for sale for our first-time clients with a satisfaction guarantee.

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for High School Students

  • Paper book or E-book: what are their pros and cons?
  • Homeschool vs. Regular school
  • Messaging vs. Real-life communication
  • Facebook vs. Twitter
  • Reading the actual book or watching its movie adaptation
  • Compare and contrast two different genres of modern music.
  • Adulthood vs Childhood: Similarities and Differences
  • Who lives a better life: students who work part-time or those who don’t?
  • Family vs. Friends
  • Schools that force their students to take standardized tests or schools that give their students the free will to take them
  • World War I or World War II: which one had a more lasting impact?
  • Compare and Contrast WW1 and WW2
  • Compare and contrast two plays written by William Shakespeare.
  • Speaking vs. Writing: which is more challenging to learn and practice?
  • Schools that use devices (i.e., tablets, iPads, smartphones) in class for learning purposes or schools that prohibit their use in class
  • Studying abroad vs. studying in your country
  • Pros and cons of studying early in the morning and studying late at night

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College

If you are looking for college-level compare and contrast essay topics, you can use the list below. In your paper, you might need to be more analytical and give more details. Also, it would be best to decide if the similarities outweigh the differences or vice versa.

  • Living on your own or living with your parents
  • Which one do you prefer: living in a big city or living in a province or countryside?
  • Studying with friends or studying alone: which is more efficient?
  • Healthcare Systems of Canada and America
  • School vs. College: how are they similar and different?
  • What is a more effective way of learning: through books or the internet?
  • To be active on social media or not?
  • Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics
  • SAT, GRE, or ACT: Which is a better assessment tool for students’ knowledge and skills?
  • College exams vs. high school tests: which is more important?
  • Android or iOS: which operating system is more user-friendly?
  • To be a college dropout or not: which is a better decision?
  • Public university or private college: which is better in securing future employment?
  • What are the similarities and differences between taking notes using pen and paper and using laptops or other electronic devices?
  • To save money or not?
  • Which is the future of education: virtual or traditional classroom?
  • Using robots in factories or hiring people

Good Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

  • Modern medicine vs. Traditional medicine
  • Which is healthier: intermittent fasting vs. eating tiny portions of food whenever hungry?
  • Mobile games vs. Outdoor games
  • How are physical and digital pictures similar and different?
  • The Empire State Building and Chicago Civic Opera Building
  • IELTS and TOEFL: what do they have in common?
  • Self-driving cars vs. regular cars
  • Freedom versus Equality in Business
  • Spending time on the beach or mountains
  • Capitalism vs. Socialism
  • Animation Arts vs Industry
  • Things to compare and contrast: Greek and Roman mythology
  • Being single or Being in a relationship
  • Life with the internet or without the internet
  • Traditional vs. Online shopping
  • Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street
  • Samsung or Huawei vs. Apple
  • Apple vs Microsoft
  • Parental control or complete freedom for kids or teenagers
  • What are the differences and similarities between acoustic and electric guitars?

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for Kids

Kids like you are decisive. You don’t take so much time making a decision. If someone asks you which you like best, you can answer right away. For simple topics for a compare and contrast essay, you can check the list below.

  • Summer vs. Winter
  • Tennis vs. Badminton
  • Sleeping in a separate room or sleeping with parents or a sibling
  • Dogs vs. Cats: Which is the more lovable pet?
  • Dancing or Singing
  • Female teacher or Male teacher
  • Pizza vs. Burger
  • Swimming on the beach or pool: which is better?
  • Compare and contrast your two favorite TV shows
  • Indoor games or Outdoor games
  • Moms or dads: who is more strict?
  • Weekends with home works or without them: which is better?
  • Money or gifts: which makes you happier when it comes to special occasions?
  • Fruits vs. vegetables
  • Superman vs. Ironman

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Middle School

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of plastic and paper bags?
  • PS4 vs. Xbox One: which is more worth it for its price?
  • Compare and contrast wired and wireless earphones.
  • Which one are you: early bird or night owl?
  • Watching a movie at home vs. going to the cinema
  • Schools with lockers or without lockers
  • What are the similarities and differences between Pokemon and Digimon?
  • Is it better to have more lenient parents or strict ones?
  • Which is more challenging: studying languages or sciences?
  • Things to compare: anime and cartoons
  • Helicopter parents or parents who don’t care
  • Which is better: required school uniforms or no required school uniforms?
  • Compare and contrast being an only child and having a big family.
  • How are fiction and non-fiction similar and different?
  • Handwriting or typing: which should be practiced more in schools?

Interesting Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

If you are searching for interesting compare and contrast essay topics, the list below is for you. They are some topics that might be relevant to you. So, choosing one of them will make your writing process much more exciting.

Funny Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

  • Which is more addictive: Angry Birds or Flappy Bird?
  • Harry Potter series vs. Percy Jackson series
  • The Avengers vs. The Justice League
  • American English vs. British English
  • Alibaba vs. Amazon: which provides better services?
  • Disneyland vs. Universal Studios: which is the real happiest place on Earth?
  • Outdoor games vs. Board games
  • Growing a plant or Raising a child
  • What is more important: food or sleep?
  • Be alone or Be with a team
  • Become an adult or Remain a child
  • Watch TV shows or Surf on the Internet
  • Which goes better with a suit: tie or bow tie?
  • Paper towel vs. Hand dryer: which is a better option for public bathrooms?
  • Best time to take a bath: morning or before bedtime?

Art History Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

To use art history as a topic is a brave move for you. You will need extensive research and an eye for details to discuss the subjects’ similarities and differences. If you love art and want to learn more, you can use any compare/contrast essay topics below.

  • Tapestry vs. Fresco
  • Watercolor vs. Oil pastel: which is more tricky to use?
  • Impressionism vs. Post-impressionism
  • Compare and Contrast Two Works of Art
  • Buddhist art vs. Chinese art
  • Abstractionism vs. Realism
  • Traditional calligraphy vs. Modern calligraphy
  • Compare and contrast Picasso’s and Van Gogh’s works.
  • Sculpture vs. Carving
  • Things to compare: 2D art vs. 3D art
  • Classical vs. Neorealism
  • Screen painting vs. fan painting
  • Korean alphabet vs. English alphabet
  • Baroque vs. Romanticism
  • Futurism vs. Surrealism
  • Compare and contrast two famous paintings from the 20th century.

Psychology Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

  • Anorexia vs. Obesity: which is more life-threatening?
  • Therapy vs. Medication: which is more effective?
  • Which is more harmful: physical or psychological abuse?
  • Nature vs. Nurture
  • Compare and contrast methods of normal and abnormal psychology
  • Classical vs. Operant Conditioning
  • Learn by theory or by practice
  • Conscious vs. Subconscious vs. Unconscious
  • Id vs. Superego
  • Social phobia vs. Social Anxiety
  • Anorexia vs. Bulimia
  • Autism vs. Down syndrome
  • Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Dyslexia vs. Dysgraphia: which condition is more challenging for a student?
  • Child ADHD vs. Adult ADHD

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics on Sports

There are so many sports around the world. Some of them are similar to one another but differ in some characteristics or rules. If you are sports-inclined, you can use the following topics for compare and contrast essay.

  • Playing sports or exercising: which is more effective in maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
  • Football vs. Basketball
  • Women’s vs. Men’s volleyball
  • Swimming vs. Cycling
  • Steroids vs. energy drinks: which is more beneficial and harmful?
  • Chess vs. Checkers
  • Rugby vs. American football
  • Skiing vs. Hockey
  • Figure Skating vs. Gymnastics
  • Morning exercise vs. Evening exercise
  • Judo vs. Taekwondo
  • Javelin throw vs. Shot put
  • Weightlifting vs. Powerlifting
  • Car racing vs. Motorbike racing
  • What are the similarities and differences between Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics?

Topics to Write Compare and Contrast Essay About Computer Science

  • Malware vs. Spyware vs. Virus
  • Java vs. Python
  • Compare and contrast two cloud services
  • Natural language processing vs. Machine learning
  • Banking industry vs. Blockchain technology
  • The use of blockchain and AI
  • Things to compare and contrast: cloud space and hard drives
  • Supervised vs. unsupervised machine learning
  • Mechanical keyboard vs. Membrane keyboard
  • Computer Science vs. Information Technology
  • Coding vs. Programming: which is more challenging?
  • Which is safer: facial recognition or fingerprint recognition?
  • Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR): which technology is more beneficial in the future?
  • Machine learning vs. IoT
  • Compare and contrast technology used in medicine and technology used in business.

Easy Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

Sometimes, people choose to toss coins to make decisions. Little did they know that they already have a decision even before the results come out. It only shows that people instantly know what they like and dislike. If you just want to have simple compare and contrast topics, check the following options.

  • Tea vs. Coffee
  • High School vs College
  • Laptop computer vs. Desktop computer
  • Chocolate or candies
  • Compare and Contrast Books and Movies
  • 2D vs. 3D: which is better for kid shows?
  • Ice cream or cake
  • Snapchat vs. Instagram
  • In-class tasks or home works
  • Compare and contrast traveling alone and with parents.
  • A good teacher vs. a bad teacher
  • Waking up early or waking up late: which do you prefer?
  • Public school vs. Private school
  • Being poor vs. Being wealthy
  • Traveling locally vs. Traveling abroad
  • Vegetarian diet vs. Non-Vegetarian lifestyle
  • Male vs. Female friends

How to Write A Good Compare and Contrast Essay

Before drafting, you have to remember that not all tips on essay writing that you know will be applicable. There are some parts of this kind of paper that make it different from other works. To learn some tips on writing a good compare and contrast essay, keep on reading.

Develop a list of similarities and differences

After choosing a topic, you should know the basis for your comparison. If you intend to compare a typewriter to a laptop, you can talk about ease of use, affordability, and portability. Then, it is best to use a table or a Venn diagram to list their similarities and differences.

Formulate a thesis statement

As always, you need a thesis statement. A simple one will state that the subjects are similar and different in terms of your basis for comparison. However, a comparative analysis will take the argument further by deciding which one is better than the other. Besides, it would be best to determine whether the similarities outweigh the differences or vice versa.

Come up with a structure

There are two ways you can outline for this kind of essay. One is called the alternating method or point-by-point pattern. Meanwhile, the other one is called the block method or subject-by-subject pattern.

To use the alternating method effectively, you need to identify the related points between A and B first. It means that the categories of their similarities or differences should be defined clearly. Otherwise, it will be counterproductive to use this.

On the other hand, you can use the block method if you cannot find specific points for comparison. Using this, you will be focused on discussing one item or concept as a whole per paragraph. Also, you can use this if you intend to compare three or more subjects.

Write the body paragraphs

You need to outline first because it will be the basis of your body paragraphs. Whichever method you choose will determine the flow of ideas in your paper. But the most important thing to remember is to use transitional devices. They will serve as cues to the readers and will link your ideas smoothly.

Transitional devices that show comparison are: “same as,” “likewise,” “compared to,” “as well as,” “in addition,” and “similarly.” For contrast, you can use: “however,” “unlike,” “but,” “meanwhile,” “on the other hand,” “in contrast,” and “nevertheless.”

Make the introduction and conclusion

You can begin your essay with a fact or trivia, relevant quote, rhetorical question, or personal anecdote. Make sure that they are connected to your subjects. Then, proceed with your thesis statement. Meanwhile, you can end by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis statement. To make a memorable closing, you can use a thought-provoking question or suggestion.

Writing a compare and contrast essay may not be easy, but it can be exciting. If you choose the topic that interests you the most, you will find joy while doing this. In this world, there are so many things that you can compare and contrast. But, always remember not to compare yourself to others.

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