What is the main difference between == and === in JavaScript?

The main difference between the two operators lies in how they perform comparisons. The operator that compares only values is known as the "loose equality" operator (==), and this operator will perform type coercion if the values being compared are of different types. This means that if you compare a number and a string, for instance, JavaScript will convert the string to a number to make the comparison, which could lead to unexpected results.

On the other hand, the "strict equality" operator (===) compares both the value and the type without performing any type conversion. This means that if the values are of different types, the comparison will return false, regardless of whether the values are equivalent in a loose sense. Therefore, using === is considered a better practice because it aligns with the principle of type safety, helping to prevent bugs that can arise from unexpected type coercion.

The other options either misrepresent the functionality of these operators or provide incorrect information about their performance or capability, making them misleading. The difference highlighted in the first answer encapsulates the key distinction that developers need to be aware of when comparing values in JavaScript.