| Active components | Passive components | 
| The active component is a device which can amplify  the output signal of electronic circuit with more power in it than the input signal. | Passive component is a device which control or modify the output of the electronic circuit without playing an active role in its performance. | 
| Active component deliver power or energy to the circuit. | The passive element employs the power or energy in the circuit. | 
| It includes the electrical components such as diodes, transistors, integrated circuits (ICs), battery and etc. | It includes the electrical components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, conductors and transformers. | 
| It can control the flow of current. | It cannot control the flow of current. | 
| It may introduce the gain. | It does not introduce any gain. | 
| It requires external source for the operations. | It does not require any external source for the operations. | 
| Generally it has unidirectional functions. | It has bidirectional function. | 
| It is widely used in personal computers (PC). | It is widely used in MP3 player, washing machine and etc. |