Token ERC-1155 vs ERC-721

The most significant difference between Token ERC-1155 and ERC-721 standards lies in their fundamental properties.

In the Token ERC-721 standard, there is always only one unit, and the concept of an "amount" is absent entirely. This means you can mint only a single unit with a unique ID and associated specific metadata. Each minting operation results in an individual token, ensuring distinctiveness. On the other hand, in the ERC-1155 standard, the "amount" field is present. This enables you to mint tokens with designated IDs and metadata, with the capacity for X number of these tokens.

In summary, Token ERC-721 allows for meticulous control over singular, unique tokens with specific attributes, while ERC-1155 introduces the concept of "amount," enabling the minting of multiple tokens sharing the same ID and metadata structure.

Example:

Imagine you would like to mint an NFT featuring a car and you desire to acquire 10 identical units.

Under the ERC-721 standard, you would need to perform the minting process 10 times for the same NFT design, resulting in each NFT having a distinct Token ID.

Under the ERC-1155 standard, you would only need to mint the NFT once, specifying a supply of 10. Consequently, all 10 NFTs would share the same Token ID while representing separate units.