What is the difference between Hibernate and JPA?

The main difference between Hibernate and JPA, both frameworks used in Java for object-relational mapping (ORM), is as follows:

1. Source: Hibernate is an ORM framework developed and maintained by JBoss, while JPA is a specification in Java established by the Java community, defining a set of persistence API interfaces in the Java EE specification.
2. Implementation: Hibernate is a specific implementation that follows the JPA standard and also offers many additional features and capabilities. JPA is just a standard, and users need to choose a specific implementation like Hibernate.
3. Ease of Use: JPA is a standard that defines a unified API interface, which means that applications can use different JPA implementations (such as Hibernate, EclipseLink, etc.) without needing to change the code. This can enhance code portability and maintainability. While Hibernate offers more robust functionality and advanced features, in some cases, it may require additional configuration and a higher learning curve.
4. Ecosystem: Hibernate is a mature ORM framework with a large user and developer community support, offering extensive documentation and examples. In comparison, while the JPA specification also has various implementations and support, its ecosystem is relatively smaller.

In general, Hibernate is a powerful and mature ORM framework, while JPA is part of the Java standard, providing a unified set of API interfaces that allow developers to switch between different implementations. If you need more advanced functionality and features, you can choose to use Hibernate; if you need code portability and maintainability, you can choose to use JPA.