A fuse is a metallic piece of wire which melts when excessive current flows through it. Compared to fuse, a circuit breaker is a complex electrical device which comprises of different components. Both circuit breakers and fuse serve the same purpose i.e. to stop excessive current for protection of the circuit. But how are they different? This post illustrates the differences between fuse and circuit breaker.
| Fuse | Circuit breaker |
Symbol:  | Symbol:  |
| Has small operating time | Has large operating time |
| Needs replacement after every operation | No need of replacement after operation |
| Its breaking capacity is small | Has large breaking capacity |
| Is simple in construction | Is complex |
| Low cost | Is expensive |
| Is easy to install | Is comparatively difficult to install |
| Takes time after operation | Can be reset quickly after operation |
| Characteristic curve changes with age | Characteristic curves stay same with age |
| There is a chance of replacing a fuse with other fuse having different rating | No change of error while replacing a circuit breaker |