browser-sync vs live-server: What are the differences?

# Introduction

The key differences between browser-sync and live-server are crucial to understand when choosing a development server tool for web development.

1. **Installation**:
   Browser-sync requires a global installation and is run from the command line, while live-server can be installed locally within a project and launched with a simple command, making it easier to manage dependencies.

2. **Configuration**:
   Browser-sync offers more extensive configuration options, including options for proxying, tunneling, and browser reloading options, allowing for more customization compared to live-server's simpler configuration setup.

3. **Multi-device syncing**:
   Browser-sync allows for syncing actions like clicks, scrolls, and form inputs across multiple devices in real-time, making it ideal for testing websites on various devices simultaneously, a feature not available in live-server.

4. **File watching accuracy**:
   Live-server's file-watching feature is known to be less accurate and may sometimes require manual refreshes to reflect changes made in the codebase, whereas browser-sync's file-watching is more reliable, ensuring instant updates to the browser.

5. **Built-in server**:
   Live-server comes with a built-in static server that serves files from the project directory, simplifying the setup process, while browser-sync requires manual configuration of a server for file serving, adding to the initial setup complexity.

6. **Community support**:
   Browser-sync has a larger and more active community, providing extensive documentation, tutorials, and support channels compared to live-server, which may have limited resources for troubleshooting and assistance.

In Summary, understanding the key distinctions between browser-sync and live-server is essential for determining which development server tool aligns best with your project requirements.