Canvas is a raster API — you draw pixels and cannot interact with individual shapes. SVG is vector-based with a DOM, making shapes individually accessible and scalable.
Choose based on your use case: Canvas for games and pixel art, SVG for illustrations and charts.
<!-- SVG: scalable, accessible, interactive -->
<svg width="200" height="200">
<circle id="dot" cx="100" cy="100" r="50" fill="blue"/>
</svg>
<script>
document.getElementById("dot").addEventListener("click", () => alert("Clicked!"));
</script>
<!-- Canvas: pixel-based, better for many objects -->
<canvas id="c" width="200" height="200"></canvas>
<script>
const ctx = document.getElementById("c").getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle = "blue";
ctx.arc(100, 100, 50, 0, Math.PI*2);
ctx.fill();
</script>SVG works better for fewer than ~1000 elements; Canvas is faster for thousands of dynamic objects (particles, sprites).