1.软件：
顾名思义，软件只是数据或指令集的集合，这些数据或指令集专门用于执行定义明确的功能以及直接操作计算机并指导如何使用它们。
2.工具：
顾名思义，工具是软件开发工具，是计算机程序集，用于由开发人员创建和维护软件或应用程序，并满足客户的需求或目标。
软件和工具之间的区别：
| Software | Tool |
|---|---|
| Software’s are computer programs or set of instructions. | Tool is a piece of software used to create or develop software or hardware. |
| It is used to transform input into output of useful information. | It is used to perform low-level operations. |
| Features of software includes usability, maintainability, functionality, portability, etc. | Features of software tool includes program analyzers, simulators, flow analyzer, etc. |
| Benefits of software includes increased productivity, simple to use, information sharing and collaboration, no wear out, etc. | Benefits of tools includes increase productivity, web development, make development simpler and easier, etc. |
| Examples of software includes Chrome, Firefox, MS Excel, Slack, MS Office, etc. | Examples of software tools include GitLab, Jira, Jenkins, Git, GitHub, Stack overflow, etc. |
| Type of software’s include business software, system software, real-time software, web-based software, etc. | Type of software tools includes language processing tools, testing tools, program analysis tools, documentation tools, etc. |
| Its main purpose is to enable user to interact with computer, its hardware and perform tasks. | Its main purpose is to create, debug, maintain, support programs and applications. |
| Factors that are needed to be considered while selecting software includes current bugs, bug fixing, program updates, software use, functionality, efficiency, scalability, etc. | Factors that are needed to be considered while selecting software tools includes company criteria, usefulness of tool, integration of one tool with another, etc. |