# Plugin vs. theme component

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-vs-theme-component/240908>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [October 4, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-vs-theme-component/240908 "2022-10-04T16:41:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-vs-theme-component/240908/5 "2022-10-04T16:56:57Z")

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> [@RGJ](#):
>
> First, the Reactions plugin and the change-like-icon theme component do not (almost) do the same thing.

That’s true, but it seemed from another topic that all he wanted to do was to do what the theme component does and just have a single 👍 rather than a ❤ .

> [@Jagster](#):
>
> So — in real world plugins and components do never same things and then the only reason to use this or that is what it serves?

If you need changes made to Rails (like you need to store or retrieve different data from the database) then you need a plugin.

If you’re changing only the front end (Ember and CSS) then a theme component will do the trick. (A while back, the difference was more nuanced.)

If what you’re doing can be accomplished in Ember only, then a theme component is easier to install since it doesn’t require rebuilding the docker image.

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