Soft forks are less disruptive than hard forks because a crypto network can continue to operate as one blockchain even if some nodes disagree with the changes. Hard forks, on the other hand, create two blockchains that coexist, and nodes must upgrade their software to validate blocks in the new chain.

Soft forks are used by developers to implement less drastic changes, and the process is typically viewed as a gradual upgrade. Hard forks, on the other hand, are typically used to make radical changes to a cryptocurrency protocol.
Previously, crypto networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum used both soft and hard forks to update their protocols.

In the world of blockchain, hard forks and soft forks are two different ways of updating a cryptocurrency network. A hard fork introduces changes that are incompatible with the previous blockchain rules. This means users and miners must upgrade to the new version to continue participating in the updated network. If some users stay on the old version, the blockchain can split into two separate chains. One well-known example is Bitcoin Cash, which separated from Bitcoin.

A soft fork is a smaller upgrade that remains compatible with older versions of the blockchain. Nodes that do not update can still interact with the network, although they may miss certain new functions. Soft forks usually create fewer disruptions and are easier to adopt across the network.

Both fork types help improve blockchain systems by enhancing security, performance, or features, depending on the goals of the developers and community.