What is the difference between Spring Framework and Spring Boot?

Separates Spring's application framework and container from Boot's opinionated startup, dependency, configuration, and operational conventions.

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TL;DR

Spring Framework provides the core application model: dependency injection, bean lifecycle, AOP, transactions, web frameworks, and integration APIs. Spring Boot builds on that foundation and makes an application easier to start through opinionated defaults, auto-configuration, starter dependencies, external configuration, and embedded server support. A Boot application still uses Spring beans and an ApplicationContext. Boot changes how much configuration you write, not the underlying meaning of dependency injection.

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A clear boundary between Spring fundamentals and the conveniences Spring Boot adds without pretending Boot is a separate replacement framework.

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Core answer
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Overview
Spring Boot builds on Spring Framework; it reduces application setup but does not replace the container or programming model.
Spring Framework provides the core application model: dependency injection, bean lifecycle, AOP, transactions, web frameworks, and integration APIs. Spring Boot builds on that foundation and makes an application easier to start through opinionated defaults, auto-configuration, starter dependencies, external configuration, and embedded server support. A Boot application still uses Spring beans and an ApplicationContext. Boot changes how much configuration you write, not the underlying meaning of dependency injection.
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Stronger answer
Optional upgrade with examples, trade-offs, and sharper phrasing.
For example, adding a web starter puts a coherent set of web dependencies on the classpath, and Boot conditionally configures common infrastructure if the application has not supplied its own. Without Boot, the same Spring capabilities can be assembled explicitly, but the team owns more dependency selection and configuration. Boot is not code generation and it does not configure everything unconditionally. Its defaults respond to the classpath, properties, application type, and existing beans.

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Calling Spring Boot a replacement for Spring Framework.
Saying Boot removes the need to understand beans.
Describing auto-configuration as unconditional magic.

What is the difference between Spring Framework and Spring Boot?

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