WPF
SILVERLIGHT
1. Richest functionality, including 3D graphics
1. Functionality is a subset of WPF's feature set
2. It is used mainly for the desktop applications, but its components can be used in ASP.NET web sites also.
2. Used in web site development.
3. It is Windows dependent
3. It is not Windows dependent. It can be implemented on Linux(Moonlight) and the Nokis OS Symbian.
4. Ships as part of the .NET Framework
4. Ships independently
5. Use Root Tags like Window, Page, and User Control.
5. Use Root Tags Like User Control, and Page.
6. Does not need browser plugins.
6. Needs a browser plugin to download and execute the Silverlight content in a web page.