Difference between DC motor & Stepper motor

[garyson0]

A DC motor runs continuous electric current through its coil, causing the coil to rotate smoothly within an enclosing magnetic field.

A stepper motor also has a coil of wire placed between magnets, but it receives pulses of electricity, causing it to move in discontinuous steps.

 

[duke37]

Not quite, a normal DC motor has a commutator which switches the current in the armature as it rotates. The magnet is on the outside.

A stepper motor switches the current with external circuitry, the magnet is on the inside.

Some DC motors are stepper motors with built in circuitry to make them run. There is no commutator to wear out.