| Parameter | Stream Cipher | Block Cipher. |
|---|---|---|
| How does it work? | Stream cipher operates on small plaintext units | Block cipher works on large data blocks. |
| Code requirement | It requires less code. | It requires more code. |
| Usage of key | Key is used only once. | Reuse of key is possible. |
| Application | Secure Socket layer. | File encryption and database. |
| Usage | Stream cipher is used to implement hardware. | Block cipher is used to implement software. |