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What is the difference between heap and stack memory?

Updated May 6, 2026

Short answer

Heap stores objects, stack stores method calls and local variables.

Deep explanation

Stack is LIFO and thread-specific; heap is shared across threads.

Real-world example

Used in all Java application memory management.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing object storage location.

Follow-up questions

  • What causes stack overflow?
  • What causes heap memory leak?

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