> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Comparison Operators
> Overview of Python comparison operators and how they produce boolean results for controlling program flow in conditionals and expressions
Previously we explored logical operators. This article introduces comparison operators — a separate category of operators used to compare values in Python. Comparison operators are fundamental for branching and looping (for example, in if and while statements) and return boolean results (True or False).
There are six comparison operators in Python:
| Operator | Meaning | Example |
| -------: | ------------------------ | -------- |
| `==` | equal to | `2 == 2` |
| `!=` | not equal to | `2 != 4` |
| `>` | greater than | `4 > 2` |
| `>=` | greater than or equal to | `4 >= 4` |
| `<` | less than | `2 < 4` |
| `<=` | less than or equal to | `2 <= 2` |
These operators compare values and yield boolean results that are commonly used in control flow and expressions.
## Equal (==)
Checks whether two values are equal.
```python theme={null}
print(2 == 2) # True
print(2 == 4) # False
print("Hello!" == "Hello!") # True
print("Hello!" == "Goodbye!") # False
print(4 == (2 * 2)) # True
```
## Not equal (!=)
Returns True when the two values are different.
```python theme={null}
print(2 != 2) # False
print(2 != 4) # True
print("Hello!" != "Hello!") # False
print("Hello!" != "Goodbye!") # True
print(4 != (2 * 2)) # False
```
## Greater than (>)
True if the left-hand operand is greater than the right-hand operand.
```python theme={null}
print(4 > 2) # True
print(2 > 4) # False
print(2 > 2) # False
cost_of_apple = 2
cost_of_banana = 3
print(cost_of_apple > cost_of_banana) # False
```
## Greater than or equal to (>=)
True if the left-hand operand is greater than or equal to the right-hand operand.
```python theme={null}
print(4 >= 2) # True
print(2 >= 4) # False
print(2 >= 2) # True
```
## Less than (\<)
True if the left-hand operand is less than the right-hand operand.
```python theme={null}
print(4 < 2) # False
print(2 < 4) # True
print(2 < 2) # False
cost_of_apple = 2
cost_of_banana = 3
print(cost_of_apple < cost_of_banana) # True
```
## Less than or equal to (\<=)
True if the left-hand operand is less than or equal to the right-hand operand.
```python theme={null}
print(4 <= 2) # False
print(2 <= 4) # True
print(2 <= 2) # True
```
Comparison operators are most often used in conditional statements (for example, `if` and `while`) to control program flow. They return `True` or `False`, which you can use directly in conditions. When comparing values, be mindful of types — comparing incompatible types may return `False` or raise a `TypeError` depending on the operation.
Be careful when comparing different types (e.g., strings vs integers). For example, `"10" == 10` is `False`. Use explicit conversion (like `int()` or `str()`) when necessary to avoid unexpected results or runtime errors.
## Quick reference and common patterns
* Use equality (`==`) to check for exact matches.
* Use inequality (`!=`) to exclude specific values.
* Use chained comparisons for concise expressions: `0 < x < 10` is valid and equivalent to `(0 < x) and (x < 10)`.
* Combine comparisons with logical operators (`and`, `or`, `not`) to build complex conditions.
Example of chaining:
```python theme={null}
x = 5
print(0 < x < 10) # True
```
## References
* [Python Documentation — Comparisons](https://docs.python.org/3/reference/expressions.html#comparisons)
* [Python Tutorial — More on Expressions](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/introduction.html#numbers)
This concludes the article on comparison operators.