Difference between Axon Framework and Axon server

what is the difference between Axon Framework and Axon Server

Axon Server is a zero-configuration message router and an event store. It serves two purposes

• it routes messages (commands, queries, and events) between distributed components (microservices) in a location transparent way.
• it stores events allowing distributed (often event sourced) applications to have a single source of truth.

Axon Framework is an open-source Java framework for building event-driven applications (monolith, modulith or microservices). It makes it easy for developers to implement architectural principles, such as Domain-Driven Design (DDD), Command-Query Responsibility Separation (CQRS), and Event Sourcing (ES)

You could use Axon Framework without Axon Server if you don't have a distributed architecture or when you want to build the communication between components yourself.

You could theoretically use Axon Server without Axon Framework but you'd have to communicate with it through a relatively low-level API.

From everything said above, it should be clear that Axon Framework and Axon Server are designed to complement each other and be used together (at least in a mission-critical application).