Introduction

When building interactive web pages, you'll often need to create buttons for user actions like submitting forms, triggering events, or navigating between pages. HTML provides two main ways to create buttons: the <button> element and the <input> element with type="button". While both create clickable buttons, they have different characteristics and are suited for different purposes.

Understanding the differences between these two approaches is crucial for intermediate developers who want to create semantic, accessible, and maintainable HTML. The choice between button and input button affects not only functionality but also accessibility, styling flexibility, and code maintainability.

In this article, you'll learn the key differences between button elements and input buttons, when to use each one, and how to make the right choice for your specific use cases.

What are Button Elements and Input Buttons?

Both button elements and input buttons create interactive clickable elements on web pages, but they work in fundamentally different ways:

Button Element (<button>): A dedicated HTML element specifically designed for creating buttons. It can contain text, images, and other HTML elements between its opening and closing tags.

Input Button (<input type="button">): A form input element configured to display as a button. It's a self-closing element that displays text through the value attribute.

While both create similar visual results, their underlying structure, capabilities, and appropriate use cases differ significantly. Understanding these differences helps you choose the right element for each situation.

Key Features and Characteristics

Button Element Features

Container Element: Can contain other HTML elements like images, icons, or formatted text
Flexible Content: Supports rich content including HTML markup within the button
Semantic Clarity: Specifically designed for button functionality
Multiple Types: Supports different button types (submit, reset, button)
Better Accessibility: Naturally more accessible for screen readers and keyboard navigation

Input Button Features

Self-Closing Element: Cannot contain other HTML elements
Simple Text Content: Displays only plain text through the value attribute
Form Integration: Originally designed as a form control element
Consistent Styling: More predictable default styling across browsers
Lightweight: Minimal markup for simple button needs

Basic Syntax and Structure

Button Element Syntax

JavaScript

<button type="button">Click Me</button>
<button type="submit">Submit Form</button>
<button type="reset">Reset Form</button>

Input Button Syntax

JavaScript

<input type="button" value="Click Me">
<input type="submit" value="Submit Form">
<input type="reset" value="Reset Form">

Essential Attributes

type: Defines button behavior (button, submit, reset)
value: Sets the text for input buttons (required for input buttons)
name: Identifies the element for form processing
disabled: Disables the button functionality

Practical Examples

Basic Button Comparison

JavaScript

<!-- Button element -->
<button type="button">Save Changes</button>

<!-- Input button -->
<input type="button" value="Save Changes">

Form Submission Buttons

JavaScript

<form>
  <label for="username">Username:</label>
  <input type="text" id="username" name="username">
  
  <label for="password">Password:</label>
  <input type="password" id="password" name="password">
  
  <!-- Using button element -->
  <button type="submit">Log In</button>
  <button type="reset">Clear Form</button>
  
  <!-- Using input buttons -->
  <input type="submit" value="Log In">
  <input type="reset" value="Clear Form">
</form>

Rich Content Buttons (Button Element Only)

JavaScript

<!-- Button with icon and text -->
<button type="button">
  <strong>Download</strong> PDF Report
</button>

<!-- Button with image -->
<button type="button">
  <img src="icon-print.png" alt="Print icon" width="16" height="16">
  Print Document
</button>

<!-- Multi-line button content -->
<button type="button">
  <div>Special Offer</div>
  <small>Save 20% Today</small>
</button>

Simple Action Buttons

JavaScript

<!-- Navigation buttons -->
<button type="button">Previous Page</button>
<button type="button">Next Page</button>

<!-- Action buttons -->
<input type="button" value="Show Details">
<input type="button" value="Hide Details">

Disabled Button States

JavaScript

<!-- Disabled button element -->
<button type="button" disabled>Processing...</button>

<!-- Disabled input button -->
<input type="button" value="Processing..." disabled>

Use Cases and Applications

When to Use Button Element

Rich Content Requirements: When you need to include images, icons, formatted text, or other HTML elements within the button.

Custom Styling Needs: When you need maximum flexibility for styling and layout customization.

Interactive Applications: For web applications where buttons need to contain complex content or multiple elements.

Accessibility Priority: When creating the most accessible button experience is important.

Modern Web Development: For contemporary web applications where semantic HTML is prioritized.

When to Use Input Button

Simple Text Buttons: When you only need plain text without any formatting or additional elements.

Form-Heavy Applications: In applications with many forms where consistency with other input elements is important.

Legacy System Integration: When working with existing systems that expect input elements.

Minimalist Design: For clean, simple interfaces where basic button functionality is sufficient.

Quick Prototyping: For rapid development where simple button functionality is needed quickly.

Advantages and Benefits

Button Element Advantages

Content Flexibility: Can contain any HTML content, allowing for rich, interactive button designs with icons, images, and formatted text.

Semantic Clarity: Specifically designed for button functionality, making the code more semantic and meaningful.

Accessibility Benefits: Better screen reader support and keyboard navigation due to its specific button semantics.

Styling Control: More flexible for CSS styling, allowing for complex button designs and animations.

Future-Proof: Represents modern HTML best practices and semantic markup principles.

Input Button Advantages

Simplicity: Straightforward implementation for basic button functionality without complex markup.

Consistency: Provides consistent styling and behavior across different browsers and platforms.

Form Integration: Naturally integrates with form processing and validation systems.

Predictable Behavior: Well-established behavior patterns that developers are familiar with.

Lightweight: Minimal markup for simple button requirements.

Limitations and Considerations

Button Element Limitations

Complexity: Can be more complex to implement when simple button functionality is all that's needed.

Styling Variations: May display differently across browsers, requiring more CSS normalization.

Content Management: Rich content requires more careful management of HTML structure within buttons.

Input Button Limitations

Content Restrictions: Cannot contain HTML elements, limiting design possibilities to plain text only.

Styling Constraints: More limited styling options compared to button elements.

Semantic Limitations: Less semantic meaning compared to dedicated button elements.

Modern Standards: Doesn't align with current HTML5 semantic markup best practices.

Best Practices

Choose Based on Content Needs

Use button elements when you need rich content, and input buttons for simple text-only buttons:

JavaScript

<!-- Good: Rich content with button element -->
<button type="button">
  <img src="icon-save.png" alt="Save icon">
  Save Document
</button>

<!-- Good: Simple text with input button -->
<input type="button" value="Cancel">

Proper Form Integration

For form submission, both work well, but button elements offer more flexibility:

JavaScript

<!-- Form with button elements -->
<form>
  <input type="text" name="email" placeholder="Enter email">
  <button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
  <button type="reset">Clear</button>
</form>

<!-- Form with input buttons -->
<form>
  <input type="text" name="email" placeholder="Enter email">
  <input type="submit" value="Subscribe">
  <input type="reset" value="Clear">
</form>

Accessibility Considerations

Always provide meaningful text and consider accessibility regardless of which element you choose:

JavaScript

<!-- Accessible button with image -->
<button type="button">
  <img src="icon-delete.png" alt="">
  Delete Item
</button>

<!-- Accessible input button -->
<input type="button" value="Delete Item">

Consistent Usage

Maintain consistency within your project - don't mix button types unnecessarily:

JavaScript

<!-- Consistent button usage -->
<button type="button">Edit</button>
<button type="button">Delete</button>
<button type="button">Save</button>

<!-- Consistent input usage -->
<input type="button" value="Edit">
<input type="button" value="Delete">
<input type="button" value="Save">

Conclusion

Both button elements and input buttons have their place in modern web development. The choice between them should be based on your specific needs, content requirements, and design goals. Button elements offer more flexibility and semantic meaning, making them ideal for modern web applications with rich content needs. Input buttons provide simplicity and consistency for basic button functionality.

For intermediate developers, understanding these differences helps you make informed decisions about which element to use in different situations. Consider the content you need to display, the level of styling flexibility required, and the overall architecture of your application when making this choice.

As you continue developing web applications, lean toward button elements for new projects, especially when you need semantic markup and rich content capabilities. Reserve input buttons for situations where simplicity is paramount or when working with legacy systems that expect input elements.

Remember that both elements can be styled and made accessible when implemented properly. The key is choosing the right tool for the job and maintaining consistency within your projects. With this understanding, you can create more semantic, accessible, and maintainable HTML interfaces.