TCP is that overprotective parent who walks you through every step, confirms you got the message, and makes sure nothing gets lost. Meanwhile, UDP is out here just launching packets into the void like "good luck, buddy!" and moving on with its life. TCP does all the heavy lifting with its 3-way handshake, sequencing, acknowledgments, and retransmissions—basically the networking equivalent of sending a certified letter with tracking. UDP? Just yeeting data packets across the network with zero regard for whether they arrive or in what order. No handshake, no acknowledgment, no second chances. Fire and forget, baby. This is why video streaming and online gaming use UDP—because who cares if you lose a frame or two? But when you're downloading files or loading web pages, you better believe TCP is there making sure every single byte arrives intact. Choose your protocol based on whether you value reliability or just vibes.