---
title: "What is the difference between Regression and Classification?"  
description: "What is the difference between Regression and Classification?"  
author: "Ravi Vishwakarma"  
published: 2026-03-05  
updated: 2026-04-21  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116376/what-is-the-difference-between-regression-and-classification  
category: "artificial-intelligence"  
tags: ["artificial intelligence"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What is the difference between Regression and Classification?

## Answers

### Answer by Anubhav Sharma

The [difference](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/398/difference-between-object-type-and-var-type) between **Regression** and **[Classification](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/11071/clustering-and-classification-with-mahout)** comes down to **what kind of output you want to predict**.

## Core Difference

- **Regression** → predicts a **continuous value** (numbers)
- **Classification** → predicts a **category or [class](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12089/arrays-in-java-determining-class-of-an-array-part-8)** (labels)

## Regression (Continuous Output)

Regression is used when the output is a **number with a range**.

### Examples:

- Predicting house price → ₹25,00,000
- Predicting [temperature](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300335/what-is-normal-body-temperature) → 32.5°C
- Predicting salary → ₹8.7 LPA

### Common Algorithms:

- [Linear Regression](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/304053/define-linear-regression-and-major-drawbacks-of-its-model)
- Polynomial Regression

## Classification (Categorical Output)

Classification is used when the output is a **label or category**.

### Examples:

- Email → Spam / Not Spam
- Disease → Positive / Negative
- Image → Cat / Dog

### Common Algorithms:

- [Logistic Regression](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/303953/top-10-machine-learning-algorithms-for-beginners)
- [Decision](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/88258/human-vs-machine-decision-making-in-war) Trees
- [Random Forest](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/304024/how-does-a-random-forest-work-in-machine-learning)

## Key Differences Table

| Feature | Regression | Classification |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Output Type | Continuous (numbers) | Discrete (labels/classes) |
| Example | Price [prediction](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116583/beginner-s-guide-to-the-prediction-marketplace-script) | [Spam detection](https://www.mindstick.com/news/4033/airtel-launches-ai-powered-spam-detection-solution-processing-1-trillion-records-in-real-time) |
| Goal | Estimate value | Assign category |
| Graph | Line/curve | Decision boundary |

## Simple Analogy

- Regression = “**Kitna?**” (How much?)
- Classification = “**Kaunsa type?**” (Which category?)

## In One Line

**Regression predicts numbers, while classification predicts categories.**


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116376/what-is-the-difference-between-regression-and-classification

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