`ng serve` and `npm start` are both commands used in web development, but they serve different purposes depending on the context. Let's look at the differences between `ng serve` and `npm start` with some examples: 1. `ng serve` Example: Let's say you're working on an Angular project and want to run it locally for development purposes. You would navigate to your project directory in the command line and run the following command: 

   ng serve
This command would compile your Angular application, bundle the assets, start a development server, and watch for changes. It will then provide you with a local URL (usually http://localhost:4200) where you can access and test your application in the browser. The development server will also automatically reload the application whenever you make changes to the code. 2. `npm start` Example: Suppose you're working on a Node.js project that has a `start` script defined in the `package.json` file. The `start` script is set to execute the main application file, `index.js`. To start your application, you would navigate to the project directory and run the following command: 

   npm start
This command will execute the command specified in the `start` script of the `package.json` file, which in this case is running `index.js`. It could be any command you specify. For example, you might use `npm start` to launch a web server, initiate a build process, or perform any other necessary actions to start your application in a production or deployment environment. In summary, `ng serve` is used specifically for running an Angular project locally during development, providing a development server and automatic reloading. On the other hand, `npm start` is a more generic command used in Node.js projects to execute a command specified in the `start` script, often used for starting an application in a production environment.