Porcelain vs ceramic tiles: which should you use?
Porcelain and ceramic are both fired clay tiles. The difference is in the body: porcelain is pressed and fired harder, giving a denser tile that absorbs very little water. That single property decides most of the choice.
Water absorption is the real dividing line
Porcelain absorbs roughly half a per cent of its weight in water or less. Standard ceramic absorbs considerably more. In a dry internal wall this makes no practical difference; on a bathroom floor, a balcony or a pool surround it decides whether the tile survives.
Where ceramic is the better buy
Ceramic is lighter, easier to cut and usually cheaper per square metre. For internal walls, splashbacks and low-traffic areas it does the job for less money, and glazed ceramic offers colours and handmade-look glazes that porcelain rarely matches.
Where porcelain is worth the extra
Floors, wet areas, external paving and anywhere heavy traffic or sunlight is involved. Porcelain holds colour under UV, resists staining, and can be supplied in textured, slip-rated finishes for outdoor use.
Full-body porcelain carries its colour through the tile, so chips and cut edges are far less visible than on a glazed tile.
A simple rule
Walls inside: ceramic is fine. Floors, wet areas and anything outdoors: use porcelain. If in doubt, use porcelain.