BeanFactory VS ApplicationContext:- The Both BeanFactory and ApplicationContext can initialize the Spring IOC Container. They Both are Java Interfaces and ApplicationContext can extends the BeanFactory. BeanFactory Inteface can only provide basic IOC and DI features but the ApplicationContext Interface is provide both basic IOC and DI features and also can have advanced Enterprise features.

• BeanFactory doesn't support the internationalization(I18N) but ApplicationContext can support.
  
  
• BeanFactory doesn't support the annotation based DI. Like @autowired,@postConstruct but ApplicationContext can do that.
  
  
• BeanFactory can initialize the bean lazy loading whereas, ApplicationContext can initialize bean quickly.
  
  
• ApplicationContext can supprort Enterprise feature like JNDI,EJB Integration and RMI(Remoting) but BeanFactory not do these task.
  
  
• Using ApplicationContext we can specify more than one Config(.xml) file but In BeanFactory we can specify only one config file.