The 9 Key Capitalism vs Socialism Differences, Explained

Capitalism vs socialism is often framed as the major political face-off of our time. People often think of capitalism vs socialism as two totally opposite political ideologies. But are they really completely different systems? And should we compare capitalism and socialism at all? 

Here’s the facts: it does make sense to compare capitalism and socialism because they’re the main economic systems used in developed countries today. But to truly understand the differences between capitalism and socialism, we have to look to unbiased sources. These terms refer to complex philosophies that can’t be summed up by a meme, stereotype, or hot take! 

Capitalism vs socialism can be a complex topic, which is why we’re here to help you gain an objective understanding of capitalism vs socialism. In this article, we’ll provide a full guide to capitalism vs socialism that includes the following: 

• A deep dive into socialism, and a deep dive into capitalism
• A guide to the differences between democratic socialism vs capitalism
• A socialism vs capitalism chart with side-by-side comparisons
• A brief comparison of these concepts and other political theories, particularly capitalism vs socialism vs communism

Let’s get started!

Featured Image: Expert364/Wikimedia

Capitalism vs Socialism: What’s the Difference?

Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are under private ownership, rather than government control. The means of production generally refers to entrepreneurship, capital goods, natural resources, and labor. Capitalism depends on a free market economy driven by supply and demand. 

In simplest terms, socialism is an umbrella term for types of economic systems that aim to eradicate inequality through shared ownership. To socialists, wealth should belong to the  workers who make the products, rather than groups of private owners. In practice, this means that the means of production are run and controlled by the government, which represents the will of the people.

As such, socialism is ultimately designed to increase social justice and equality regardless of class, race, or other socioeconomic factors. 

As models for economic systems, the primary difference between capitalism and socialism is the extent to which the government controls the economy. Capitalists believe that private enterprise, or privately owned business, is better at using economic resources. Asa result, capitalism argues that private business is what facilitates equitable distribution of wealth through a free market. In contrast, socialists believe that income inequality is most effectively managed through tight control of businesses and redistribution of wealth through social programs that are run by the government, such as free healthcare, education, and housing.

At first glance, capitalism and socialism might seem entirely incompatible. The truth is, most developed countries today implement some combination of capitalist and socialist practices in their economic structure and domestic policy. To help you understand how capitalism and socialism can be integrated in practice, we’ll do a deep dive into both socialism and capitalism, starting with socialism, next. 

What Is Socialism?

We’ve covered the core differences between capitalism vs socialism, so let’s take a closer look at socialism next. Below, we’ll give you a more comprehensive definition of socialism, go over the history of the term, explain democratic socialism vs capitalism, and provide some examples of socialist governments today. 

Because socialism and communism are often easily confused, we’ll also touch on capitalism vs socialism vs communism.

Socialism: Overview and Definition

Socialism is a social, economic, and political doctrine that calls for collective ownership of a society’s means of production. The main goal of socialism is to eliminate socioeconomic classes by ensuring equal distribution of wealth among the people. To accomplish this, a socialist government--which is elected by the people--has control over the country’s economy, including major businesses and industries and the labor market. At its core, socialism is designed to eliminate inequality through government regulation.

The word “socialism” comes from the Latin sociare, which means to combine or to share. But the modern term “socialism” didn’t appear until the 19th century. French philosopher and revolutionary Henri de Saint-Simon coined the term in his writings about the  abuses of the capitalist system and the  Industrial Revolution. 

The thing to keep in mind about socialism is that it’s a blanket term that covers a wide variety of socialist ideas, practices, and theories. In his 1924 encyclopedia of socialism, historian Angelo Rappoport identified forty different definitions of socialism. This is why it’s tough to pin down a universal definition of socialism today. 

As an economic system and political theory, socialism has been applied in many different countries in many different ways. For example, communism is at its heart a form of socialism because it argues that everything in a society should be collectively owned and distributed to each according to their needs. But democratic socialism--which can combine capitalist and socialist ideologies--is also a type of socialism! 

Having said that, socialism is almost always employed as a critique of some aspect of capitalism. In some cases, socialism is also employed to replace capitalism. In most cases, though, socialism and capitalism are used together so that each ideology can make up for the other’s shortcomings. 

History of Socialism

Socialism was first used to criticize capitalist systems at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Henri de Saint-Simon and other prominent French philosophers were the first to critique the poverty and inequality of industrialized capitalism, and socialist thinkers advocated the transformation of society into small communities without private property. 

Socialism gained international recognition at the end of the 19th century. It was during this time that the movement became more oriented toward revolutionary thinking. This strain of socialist thought is largely attributed to the work of German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. In 1848, Marx and Engels wrote and dispersed a pamphlet called The Communist Manifesto detailing their ideas about socialism. 

According to the Communist Manifesto, socialism must eventually evolve into a more advanced system: communism. In the communist form of socialism as described by Marx and Engels (called Marxism), there would be no state, no money, and no social classes. Essentially, communism argues that private enterprise shouldn’t exist, and that the public (through the government) should own all the means of production in a society. 

This means that when socialism evolves into communism, it is fundamentally incompatible with capitalism. That’s because communism argues everything should be owned by the people and managed by government, whereas capitalism believes that economies should be run on private enterprise, which is controlled by individuals and not the government.This is why capitalism vs socialism vs communism can often be confusing. Just remember: the key difference between socialism and communism is that communism seeks to eliminate capitalism. But communism is just one type of socialism, and many other forms of socialism can be integrated into a capitalist economy. 

Marx and Engels helped popularize socialism, and in the 20th century, the first socialist governments appeared. The first mass party in Latin America, the Socialist Party of Argentina, was established in the 1890s, and in 1902, the British Labour Party won its first seats in Parliament. These elections of socialist politicians ushered in a new era of political legitimacy for the socialist movement. 

More radical forms of socialism emerged following World War I. In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in Russia, led by philosopher Vladimir Lenin. Lenin and the Bolshevik faction of socialists overthrew the Russian monarchy and installed the first ever constitutionally socialist state, known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. Socialists who embrace Lenin’s methods today are most often referred to as communists.

By the 1920s, socialism in various forms had become the dominant secular movement on a global scale. That’s not to say that most governments were “socialist,” but they had definitely begun incorporating socialist ideas into their political policies. As socialism became more accepted, new forms of socialism continued to emerge, including the most common forms of socialism today: social democracy and democratic socialism. 

Bernie Sanders is the most well-known proponent of democratic socialism in the United States.
(Secret-Name101/WikiMedia) 

Democratic Socialism vs Capitalism

Democratic socialism brings three core concepts together: democracy, socialism, and capitalism. Generally speaking, democratic socialism combines the safety net of a socialist economy with the wealth creation of capitalism within a democratic system of government. 

Here’s what that means. First things first: the organizational structure of the government is a democracy. Every citizen of a country can vote in a free and fair election to elect officials to represent them in government. These officials then represent the will of the people that elected them. You can learn more about democracies (vs republics and other types of government) in this article. 

Democratic socialism also combines aspects of socialism and capitalism in terms of its political ideologies and economic systems. Under democratic socialism, the elements of society that provide for basic human needs--like healthcare, labor protections, and childcare--are owned collectively and run by the government. 

However, democratic socialism also embraces aspects of capitalism--usually in terms of economic structure. Democratic socialism recognizes the importance of private enterprise, especially in terms of building national wealth. When the two are combined, though, capitalism is more tightly regulated by the government. 

Examples of Socialist Governments Today

There are many different ways that a country can implement socialism today. Socialism is a broad category that encompasses multiple types of economic systems. It’s also compatible with various government systems. 

While there aren’t any purely socialist countries in the world today, there are nations that are categorized as communist by virtue of how much power the government has over social and economic systems. Those countries are: 

• China, or the People’s Republic of China
• Cuba, or Republic of Cuba
• Laos, or Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Vietnam, or Socialist Republic of Vietnam
• North Korea, or Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Most countries implement aspects of socialism that are compatible with their form of government and economy in order to create equality for all people. These countries tend to have prominent socialist or democratic socialist political parties. Having a socialist political party does not necessarily mean that a country “is socialist.” Most of the time, it just means that some aspects of a country’s domestic agenda are influenced by socialism. 

Some of the countries with very influential socialist parties include the following: 

• Australia
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Denmark 
• France
• Greece
• Germany
• Norway
• Poland 
• Russia
• South Korea
• Sweden
• United Kingdom
• Venezuela 

Because democratic socialism is such a popular topic today, let’s look more closely at one country that implements democratic socialism: Sweden.

Sweden adheres to the Nordic Model, which refers to the economic and social policies common to the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The Nordic Model in Sweden fits the description of democratic socialism for two main reasons: it supports a universalist welfare state to promote social mobility, but it remains committed  to a market-based economy that’s partially fueled by private enterprise.

Sweden’s democratic government provides free health care, education, and lifetime retirement income. As a result, their Swedish citizens pay some of the highest taxes in the world. A high percentage of Sweden’s workers belong to a labor union, and the country is ranked high for protection of workers’ rights because of its strong social partnership between employers, trade unions, and the government.

At the same time, Sweden has a mixed-market capitalist economic system and high degrees of private ownership. To regulate its capitalist economy, Sweden allows free trade combined with collective risk sharing. These measures provide a form of protection against the risks associated with economic openness.

In other words: the country combines socialism and capitalism! in order to ’s political ideology is socialist, but its economy is capitalist. 

Because the government meets most of their needs, the Swedish people aren’t very concerned with accumulating wealth. As of 2020, Sweden also ranks high on the Global Peace Index and is ranked in the top 10 on the World Happiness Report.

Many people associate capitalism with making money. That's because capitalism believes that privately owned businesses should be the bedrock of a national economy.

What Is Capitalism?

Now that we’ve covered socialism, let’s tackle capitalism next. Below, we’ll give you a comprehensive definition and history of capitalism, and we’ll provide some examples of capitalist governments today. 

Capitalism: Overview and Definition

Capitalism is an economic system in which the private sector owns most of the means of production. In a capitalist economy, the government plays a lesser role. The main goal of capitalism is to employ the means of production to make a profit and generate capital. To accomplish this, capitalism usually has a free market economy, which is based on supply and demand and limited government control. At its core, capitalism is designed to enable private entities, which are often corporations, to make a profit. 

The term capitalism is derived from the word “capital,” which evolved from the late Latin word capitale. Capitale is based on the Latin word caput, which means "head" and connotes something of value, such as money, property, or livestock. Capitale emerged in the 12th to 13th centuries to refer to funds, stocks of merchandise, sum of money, or money carrying interest. By 1283, it was used to describe the capital assets of a trading firm. By this time, capital was often used interchangeably with other words, including wealth, money, funds, goods, assets, and property.

In English language usage, the term “capitalism” first appears in author William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1854 novel, The Newcomes. In Thackeray’s novel, “capitalism” refers to “having ownership of capital.” Other initial usage of capitalism in the modern period employs the term to describe a new type of economy. In this economy, capital, or the source of income, doesn’t belong to the workers who generate it through labor. Instead, it belongs to the people who own the businesses and companies that pay for the labor. 

Also keep in mind that just like socialism, capitalism exists on a spectrum. But whereas types of socialism are often categorized by how much power a centralized government has, types of capitalism are usually defined by how free and unregulated the economy is. 

History of Capitalism

Capitalism developed out of systems of feudalism and mercantilism in Europe during the Renaissance. In these systems, capital existed in the form of simple commodity exchange and production. 

At the end of the 16th century, the economic foundations of the agricultural feudal system began to break down in England. Land and resources became concentrated in the hands of a few private owners, and the labor market became more competitive. The expanding system put pressure on owners and workers to increase productivity to make greater profits. By the early 17th century, feudalism was effectively replaced by a new centralized state and economic market in England.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries in England, an economic doctrine of mercantilism prevailed. Merchant traders explored foreign lands and engaged in trade for profit. Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, merchants were granted state support. Through subsidies and other economic incentives, merchants expanded commerce and trade and made profits by buying and selling goods. 

The continued growth of capitalism required specific technologies for mass production, which early feudalist societies and individual merchants didn’t have. These technologies became widely available during the Industrial Revolution, and those who owned them were called industrialists. Industrialists facilitated the development of factory systems and manufacturing. These systems required a complex division of labor and established the modern concept of the capitalist mode of production. 

The Industrial Revolution established the dominance of capitalism as an economic system in the western world. By the 19th century, capitalism had spread globally. And by the end of the 19th century, goods and information were able to circulate around the world at a whole new pace. This was due to technologies such as the telegraph, the steamship, and railway. But this growth also hinged on a large--and cheap--labor force. 

When the Great Depression had a global impact in the 1930s, socialist practices first entered into the capitalist economies of the world. By the end of World War II, governments began  regulating these open, capitalist markets. Welfare states emerged in capitalist countries during this time as well. Since then, there hasn’t been a purely capitalist system in the world. Today, most capitalist economies incorporate some form of socialist practice. 

Many countries embrace capitalism...even if they also implement socialist policies. One good example of this is the United Kingdom, which has strong social programs but still allows for a robust private sector.

Examples of Capitalism Governments Today

There are many types of capitalism in existence today. Different countries’ implementation of capitalism may feature different economic policies and institutional structures. However, at their core, all capitalist countries share a common element: they are primarily based on private ownership of the means of production, generating profit through production, market-based control of resources, and accumulation of capital. 

Today, there are over 100 countries that have a capitalist economy. Here are a few examples of countries have some form of a capitalist economy:

• Australia
• Austria 
• Canada
• Chile 
• Germany
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland 
• Israel
• Japan 
• Mauritius 
• Netherlands 
• Norway
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

It’s important to recognize that none of these countries implement pure capitalism. Instead, they implement a form of capitalism that may be combined with other types of economic markets or political ideologies, including socialism. Let’s look at an example of a capitalist economy to understand what capitalism looks like in practice next.

The United States has a democratic capitalist political-economic system. The U.S. economy is also referred to as a mixed market economy. This means that it has characteristics of both capitalism and socialism that are combined with a democratic system of government. 

In the form of capitalism implemented by the U.S., the means of production are based on private ownership and for-profit business. In other words: most businesses and services are privately owned, and those companies’ primary goal is to make money. But because the economy has regulations, taxation, and some subsidization, the U.S. can’t be considered a purely capitalist economy. 

Prior to World War II, the U.S. more closely resembled a truly free market. However, the government has always had some role in controlling the U.S. economy. Today, the U.S. government has partial control over education, physical infrastructure, healthcare, and postal deliveries. The government also provides subsidies to oil and financial companies and agricultural producers. While private businesses have a high degree of autonomy in the U.S., they are required to register with government agencies.

Some critics argue that the U.S. capitalist system serves the interests of a small percentage of the population, known as the one percent. Because of income inequality and intensifying class divisions in the U.S., many critics of capitalism advocate for the adoption of more socialist policies as a means to bridge that class divide. Two well-known advocates of increasing socialist policy in the U.S. are senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. 

Socialism vs Capitalism: Chart Comparison

We’ve covered a lot of info concerning capitalism vs socialism, so let’s condense things down to the core differences between capitalism and socialism next. 

Keep reading for a side by side comparison of capitalism and socialism in our chart below.

Fascism, Communism, and Marxism: A Quick Comparison 

Now that we’ve covered the differences between capitalism and socialism, let’s explain how they compare to other systems that they’re sometimes confused with. We’ll briefly clarify the differences between the socialist and capitalist systems and communism and fascism. 

Fascism vs Capitalism and Socialism

Fascism is a political ideology that supports authoritarianism and ultra-nationalism. Fascist states are ruled under dictatorships. They also suppress opposition by force and tightly control society and the economy. 

But how does fascism compare to socialism and capitalism? Socialism is generally considered incompatible with fascism. Socialism is liberally-minded and progressive, and it’s a relatively flexible ideology, whereas fascism is none of these things. In fact, because it is a far-right ideology, fascism opposes socialism. 

The relationship between capitalism and fascism is a little more complicated. Historically, fascism has sought to do away with capitalism because of its emphasis on autonomy and limited state control. However, fascism supports private ownership, wealth accumulation among private individuals, and a market economy. This means that fascism can support a very specific kind of capitalism, but capitalist economies are rarely fascist.

Communism vs Capitalism and Socialism

Let’s talk now about capitalism and socialism in relation to communism. Communism proposes a socioeconomic structure and political system that completely replaces a capitalist system with public ownership and communal control of the means of production. In communism, everything is collectively owned and private enterprise is eliminated. Because it seeks to eliminate money and social classes, communism is ultimately incompatible with capitalism.

However, socialism and communism are more closely related. In simplest terms, communism is a more revolutionary form of socialism, based on the ideology of Karl Marx. Socialism and communism share a core goal of placing power over the means of production in the hands of workers. Unlike communism, though, socialism is widely compatible with other forms of government. Forms of socialism can also be integrated into other economic systems, such as capitalism. 

Marxism vs Capitalism And Socialism 

You may also be wondering how Marxism relates to socialism and capitalism. Marxism is the political and economic theory proposed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Marxist theory was adapted by followers of Marx and Engels to articulate a specific approach to communism. This means that Marxism is a type of communism that incorporates socialist principles. Ultimately, socialism is a much broader concept than Marxism.

Marxism also addresses capitalism, though. In his book, Das Kapital, Karl Marx describes a capitalist mode of production. He is often credited as defining the modern concept of capitalism through his harsh critiques of it. He ultimately believed that capitalism would eventually stagnate, and socialism would take its place. 

What’s Next? 

If you want to learn more about how different governments work, check out our article on democracies versus republics.

The U.S. government is set up in three parts where no one section of the government has more power than the other. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about this checks and balances system.

If all of these topics are fascinating to you, then you might be interested in majoring in political science. Our experts will teach you everything you need to know about a political science degree, including what types of careers are available for poli-sci grads.