Thunderbolt and USB-C are the common interfaces capable of carryingpower, data, and video. They are convenient to use as they have smaller connectors and thinner cables.
Previously, USB-C and Thunderbolt 1 & 2 were completely different. But after the introduction of its third generation, both share the same connector with a similar pin configuration. Also, they can both charge your peripherals and connect to external storage devices quite easily.
Looking at these similarities, USB-C users may have thought of switching to Thunderbolt, and vice versa. While the two look and feel the same, there are still tons of differences you should know before taking this decision.
Thunderbolt is a hardware interface for connecting different types of peripherals, with the vision of “One connector for everything”. It supports a wide range of protocols and lets you enjoy faster bandwidth, charging speed,display resolution, andrefresh rate.
This powerful technology was released on 2025-07-14. While Intel initially introduced it asLight Peak, the company later collaborated with Apple and named it Thunderbolt. Today, the interface provides better flexibility and can support data, audio, video, and power.
The connectors are rotationally symmetrical, meaning there’s no wrong way to insert them. you may find two types of Thunderbolts –copper and optical. While the former is best if you’re looking for a bus power supply, the latter supports longer cable lengths and bigger connector sizes.
As of January 2023, four generations of Thunderbolts are available. They differ mainly in terms of data throughout, video support, connector, pin configuration, and more.
Thunderboltsupportsdaisy chainingand also has a relatively faster data transfer rate. Moreover, the DisplayPort and PCI Express are combined into two serial data streams, instead of just the DC connection.
Despite these advantages, there are a few drawbacks to using Thunderbolt. They have security issues and arecomparatively expensive. The below chart contains complete detail regarding the pros and cons of the interface.
USB-C or USB Type-C is an industry-standard connector found on most devices that can transmit both power and data using a single cable. It was designed and published by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) mainly to replace the Mirco-USB on Android devices.
Moreover, this universal standard is versatile and is likely going toreplace the older interfaces USB-A and USB-B. Like Thunderbolt, USB-C also adopts a reversible cable and hence is much more convenient.
As of January 2023, USB-IF has made six revisions (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.0, and 2.1) for the USB Type-C specification. Each of them has different requirements for their receptacles and plugs. Below is a chart that shows eachgeneration of USBand their differences in terms of transfer rate, power, current, and voltage.
Although the USB Type-C interface is advantageous and isavailable in most devices, they still have drawbacks. While they offer a rotationally symmetrical connection and high power (up to 100W), you certainly won’t be satisfied with the short cable length. Also, there are other issues related to security, malware, incompatibility, cost, etc.
Differences Between Thunderbolt and USB-C
USB-C is easy-to-use and is popular for its oval-shaped port. It’s available on most devices (from a smartphone to high-end laptops).
