Dropdown vs radio button

If there are a lot of options, or if the user can select more than one item, use a dropdown. If there are only a few options, or if the user can only select one item, use a radio button.

1. What is the difference between drop down and radio button?
2. Why would a dropdown be an advantage over a radio button?
3. When should you use radio buttons?
4. What is the difference between radio button and checkbox?

What is the difference between drop down and radio button?

Think about a multiple choice quiz—you'd give your students Radio Buttons so they could choose one answer for each question and see each choice the entire time. A Dropdown List field can be used to create a list of items that you want a user to choose from—for example, selecting a day of the week.

Why would a dropdown be an advantage over a radio button?

Radio buttons have the advantage of one-click option selection (versus two clicks to select from a drop down). They save the user a click. Dropdowns have the advantage of one-glance value reading (the user only has to look in one place to see what is currently selected, rather than scan down a list).

When should you use radio buttons?

Radio buttons are an essential element of forms. They are used when there is a list of two or more options that are mutually exclusive and the user must select exactly one choice. Clicking a non-selected radio button will deselect whatever other button was previously selected in the list.

What is the difference between radio button and checkbox?

In a checkbox group, a user can select more than one option. Each checkbox operates individually, so a user can toggle each response "on" and "off." Radio buttons, however, operate as a group and provide mutually exclusive selection values. A user can select only one option in a radio button group.